All Places Inbetween
by mihoyonagi
Summary: ON HIATUS - She left us without a word. She came back to us lacking her memories. What else could we do but traverse the world and hope to find what she'd lost? Vincent/Yuffie. Rated for swearing, adult/sexual situations, and probable triggers.
1. Why I set out

All Places In-Between

By Mihoyonagi

Chapter One: Why I set out

I upended the bottle of vodka that had been passed to me by Cloud. He'd informed me to lighten up, that it was a celebratory occasion, and that I was far too uptight to be enjoying myself.

He was wrong. I _was_ enjoying myself. I was watching Cid laugh so hard he nearly suffocated and Barret attempting to tell a story he was far to drunk to recall properly.

That wasn't sarcasm there; I'm serious. It was funny, despite not having copious amounts of alcohol in me. I simply don't laugh very loud, that's all.

Still, it was Cloud's house and I wasn't going to argue. I took another drink from the bottle, then handed it off to the first open hand that asked for it.

It had been two years since we, the silent heroes of the Jenova war, had purged the world of that beast of a creature. Getting together on Aerith's birthday was becoming a tradition of sorts for us, though several of our motley crew had yet to arrive.

It was well pat midnight when Reeve called. He was tired, as he should be, but there was a somewhat urgent tone to his voice when he apologized for not being able to make it out this year.

"Yuffie came around, right?"

Silence filled up the room as everyone tried to recall the night through their drunken stupor.

I stopped in, taking hold of the conversation. "She hasn't shown up, no. She hasn't called, either. Is something the matter?"

Reeve sighed heavily on the other side of the phone. "I've been in contact with Wutai for a while now – Shinra is doing some legitimate trading negotiations as of late. Godo knew that I was one of the crew and asked me if I'd seen or heard from Yuffie recently. No one seems to know where she was headed, and she hasn't checked in with her father for quite some time."

"I thought she and Godo didn't get along."

"They don't, but Yuffie makes occasional calls to speak with her grandmother every once in a while. Godo told me that Yuffie always told them the next time she'd call so that they could expect it, but she hasn't called and it's been more than a few weeks."

"Little shitfire wasn't one to let much tie her down," Cid interjected.

Reeve sighed again. "That's part of what I'm thinking; Yuffie wasn't one to give a damn about if anyone knew what she was doing or where she was going."

"Unless she was trying to get attention." Yes, Cid, we know.

"But," Reeve continued, clearing his throat. "It seems her phone was disconnected, which points to suspicious activity. Something doesn't seem right about this."

Tifa bit her lip. "Call us back in the morning with any ideas you might come up with. When everyone sobers up, we can form search parties."

So, that's what we did. The next morning, everyone already haven taken a few days off of work or whatever it was they did with their normal lives, we loaded up with aspirin (or at least the ones with hangovers did), supplies, and all set out to different cities with recent pictures of Yuffie.

And, after six months, we still hadn't found her.


	2. Why she didn't call

All Places In-Between

By Mihoyonagi

Chapter Two: Why she didn't call

No one had truly given up on her. Not really. They all simply had lives to get back to, families to support, shit to do. I was the only one that continued to scour the face of the planet for her because, well, what else was I going to do with my time?

To be fair, even though she and I had about the least amount of interaction out of anyone in the group, she was still someone I'd fought in battle next to, had given a few potions to, and had my materia stolen by (yes, I was the type to hold a grudge over petty things). And, I wouldn't give up on her. She was too young to bid the world farewell.

Plus, she was persistent. I knew she wasn't dead. She couldn't be.

Determined, I'd set my mind to the task of finding her. I used all of the skills I'd managed to gather throughout my life – spying, stealth, interrogation – but nothing that I did yielded any results. No one had seen her. No one had heard of her. It was almost as if she had never existed.

I visited Godo on occasion during that time, sharing with Yuffie's father what little I'd found about his missing daughter. I'd managed to gather the rough area she was last seen, which was around Midgar no less than seven months prior. Yuffie's grandmother passed away that spring. Many speculated it was heartbreak, which sounded reasonable to me.

After I'd found all the information I knew I'd be able to, I just began to wander. I traveled from continent to continent, constantly having arguments with Chaos over the entire situation. It didn't matter what I was doing, or how I was doing it; I was always wrong. Always. And he liked to point it out. A lot. He was rather talkative which, given that he was also the most powerful being inside of me, came as a bit of a surprise. I'd expected the strong, silent type, not the sarcasm I was often on the receiving end of. He was also easily the most annoying son of a bitch on the planet, living or dead.

Sharing a body with demons isn't always peachy. Sure, I've got super strength and super speed, I heal ten times faster than any other living thing out there, but the side effects sucked. One of the most disgusting side effects was my random cravings for raw meat.

Do you have any idea how fucking gross that shit it?

But don't tell him I said that; Chaos loves that crap. He'd bitch until I killed myself.

It was early summer when I entered the lower harbor of Junon. Mostly the poor and downtrodden lived under the plate, below the city; people who couldn't escape the choke Shira once had on them, or the iron grip of poverty.

That's why I liked their bars the best. They hand-made most of their alcohol, so I knew it would do the trick. It took a lot to get me drunk, sure, but every once in a while I enjoyed the feeling of a light buzz. I didn't appreciate downing twenty beers just to feel a little light-headed. There was a bar set against the backdrop of the city that made my head swim, easily, in five drinks. I recalled that the last time I'd been cut off after those five by the bartender, the elderly man claiming that no one lived to tell about the sixth. Fair enough. I wasn't exactly up to explaining to a complete stranger why I could easily down a hundred, anyway.

The elderly woman at the door greeted me, both in English and Wutanese. "Just one?"

Nodding in affirmation, I was led to a stray table against the back wall.

Slow day, I noticed. Hardly three people seated in the entire establishment. Well, it was hardly past noon; most everyone in the town must have been working.

I was handed a menu. The elderly woman hobbled away, but not before calling over her shoulder, "we'll come back to get your order in a few minutes."

Chaos bitched. He didn't much care for Wutain cuisine; he claimed it was overcrowded with fish and vegetables, and lacked red meat. Today, however, I was feeling up for a nice plate of veggie stir fry, so I welcomed him to shove it.

I was still looking over the laminated piece of paper that was the menu when the waitress appeared beside me. "All ready to order?"

The world stood still for a moment. To be honest, I don't even remember standing up; one moment I was sitting, then next the chair had tipped over behind me and I'd shoved the table a few feet back and out of my way.

Looking like a scared dove, Yuffie gaped up at me. She dropped her notepad and pen, then held up her hands in mock surrender. "Hey, I don't want any trouble-"

"Is this where you've been for the past year? Do you have any idea how worried sick everyone has been?"

I didn't realize I would be so angry when I found her. Anger and I didn't get along. On a constant basis I tried my damnedest to make sure that my anger was kept under control. If I let my emotions get the better of me, Chaos was prone to jump the gun and posses my body.

Still, I couldn't help the rage that coursed through me. Yuffie stood there, her hands in front of her, her eyes wide, as if she had no idea what I was talking about. I reached out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her toward me. Shaking, I tired to calm myself. "None of us care that you're doing your own thing out here in the world, but the least you could do is call your damned father once in a while, or Cloud even, to let us know you're not dead!"

There was a breath of silence that stretched out between us, and in those few seconds of quiet I managed to calm down somewhat. I'm glad my emotions were under check by then, because a few moments later I was smacked on the back, repeatedly, by a broom. If I hadn't have regulated my breathing and forced my mind to relax a moment before, I most likely would have lost it.

"You let her go right now, mister, or I'll call the cops!" Another angry blow to my back with the broom.

I let go of Yuffie, but kept my eyes on her. "What the hell is going on, Kisaragi?"

It took her a moment, but she eventually held up her hand and, in a squeaky voice, told the elderly woman to stop hitting me. "Grandma, it's okay."

"Are you alright?" The old lady abandoned her broom and took Yuffie's hands in hers. "Did he hurt you?"

"No, I'm fine," Yuffie promised.

...Grandma? I blinked a few times, trying to take into perspective what, exactly, was going on. Yuffie's grandmother had passed away, last month. Was this her mother's mother, then- her maternal grandmother?

The two woman looked nothing alike- no similar facial features in the slightest; differently shaped eyes and nose, strikingly opposite chin lines.

An old man burst through the kitchen door, mop in hand. "What's all the racket out here?

Yuffie, her eyes still on me, let out a sigh. "Grandma, Grandpa- I think this man knows who I am."

My brain just shut off. It was like someone had their hands on the master switch, and when the exact moment came flipped it down, like a lightswitch. The situation had just taken a nose-dive so serious that even Chaos, ever full of sarcasm, had nothing to say. The only thing that came out of my mouth was a dumb and dull, "what?"


	3. Why we started anew

All Places In-Between

By Mihoyonagi

Chapter Three: Why we started anew

"She just washed up on shore about three months ago. One of the Penn boys found her, and when he told us she was still breathing we all came to help out. We fish dead bodies out of the sea every once in a while, but it's pretty rare to find a live one. And, after a few days of rest and some home-cookin' she turned right as rain."

I took another swig of my drink, trying to hold myself together.

"The only reason we figured her name was Yuffie was because it was written on a few things in her bag."

Yuffie sat across the table from me, next to the woman she'd come to call grandmother. She sipped her tea, and almost looked embarrassed over the telling of her story.

"I didn't remember anything when I woke up. Not even my name, or where I came from. All I remember is a flying ship and caves at the top of the world, but that all seems more like a dream than a memory."

I took a moment to contemplate my words before I began to speak. "Do you want to know who you are?"

She looked up and me and nodded eagerly. "Absolutely."

I took a deep breath, and began spewing words. "Your name is Yuffie Kisaragi, and you are the daughter of Godo."

The old couple looked to one another with wide eyes. "THE Godo?"

I nodded.

"Who's Godo?" Yuffie asked.

The elderly woman laughed. "He's the heart and soul of Wutai, the place Grandpa and I are from. Looks like you're from there, too. And, if you're Godo's daughter, that makes you royalty of sorts."

Yuffie's eyebrows skyrocketed. "You're shitting me."

The woman laughed again. "I'm not, and don't use that language, young lady."

Yuffie turned to me. "How do I know you, then?"

I sighed. "I know you because we fought together, but this is where everything gets complicated. I'll be honest with you, Yuffie- other than the fact that you're Godo's daughter, I know very little about your personal life."

She bit her lip. "That doesn't make sense. Why did you come after me, then?"

"To be honest? We're friends of sorts. It's a weird relationship. No one in our rag-tag group of so-called heroes is sure about anyone else, really. Save for Cloud and Tifa, I guess."

Yuffie suddenly grew excited. "How many more people who know about me?"

"A few. I suppose I should call them and let them know you're safe." I looked to the elderly couple. "Would that be alright?"

The man nodded, smiling. "Anything for our sweet Yuffie. She's been such a joy that helping her find out about her past is the least we can do for all that she's given us these past few weeks."

Yuffie blushed, and I fought to hide the shock on my face. This was not the Yuffie that I knew. Regardless, I stood and excused myself. I eased the front door closed behind me and leaned against the far wall of the building as I dialed Cloud's number.

After the initial 'I found her' line, it took a while to explain to Cloud exactly what was happening. Yes, I'm sure it was Yuffie. Yes, I'm completely positive that she didn't recognize me at all. Yes, I'm sure she's not faking it. No, I'm not clear on the why and how she lost her memory. After a long conversation that ended up going in a few more circles than my patience had time for, Cloud agreed to round up those he could and meet us in Junon by nightfall.

I hadn't heard her sneak up on me, which is why I jumped when I turned around and and found her standing right behind me.

She giggled, but hid it behind her had. "Sorry to scare you."

I scratched at the back of my head and shrugged. "You mentioned a flying ship, and caves at the top of the world..."

Yuffie nodded, then tilted her head to look up me. "You know something about that?"

"Yes. The flying ship was something all of us rode on, when we were together. It belongs to a friend of ours."

She gasped, from excitement. "I've been on a flying ship?"

"Yes, but you get motion sickness very easily, so you hated flying in it."

Suddenly, she looked sad. "Oh. I don't remember that."

"And the caves..." This was getting so awkward on my part. Having to explain what was what to someone I'd walked through the crater with? "It's fairly complicated."

"Give me the short version, then." Yup, there was a little of the Yuffie I remembered.

"We chased a psychopath across the globe, and had to follow him into the crater in the north to take care of him."

"Oh, wow. That seems pretty impressive."

Her voice was flat; she didn't seem impressed. In fact, she looked skeptical.

I shook my head, feeling a little lost. "I'm not good at story telling, Yuffie. Cloud and the others can explain it to you better when you get here."

And, by dinner time, most of our group had shown up in the Highwind. Tifa, broad smile adorning her pretty features, hugged Yuffie when she stepped off the ship. "I'm missed you so much!"

Yuffie, looking highly uncomfortable, took the hug in stride. "I wish I could say the same, I guess, but I don't think I know any of you."

Tifa, the smile on her face suddenly turning sad, patted Yuffie on her shoulder. "It's okay. As long as you're safe."

Cloud, never one for sentimentality, looked just as uncomfortable as Yuffie when he gave her back a small pat. "Why don't we all go inside and talk about this?"

So, Cloud, Tifa, Yuffie, her adoptive grandparents, Cid, Red and I all sat around a low table, our legs folded under us, warm tea in our hands, and talked until the middle of the night. Barret and Reeve were absent, but it couldn't be helped; Barret was off-site, and PHS didn't work underground so well, and while Reeve was pleased we'd found Yuffie, he couldn't get away from work. He sincerely sounded disappointed when he told us he could not make it, and I knew no one would hold it against him.

After we ate, Cloud recalled our story in great detail, starting not from when Yuffie joined the group but from when he had set out on his first mission with AVALANCHE. To be honest, parts of the story that I hadn't been around for were nice to hear, like how Red came to join the group, how everyone had traveled across the ocean, and how they'd managed to escape the prison at the bottom of the Gold Saucer.

The entire time, we all injected our own elements into the story. I dismissed Yuffie's accusations of "you're a vampire!?" when Cloud recalled how he had found me in a coffin in the Shinra Mansion basement. Everyone grew somber when Cloud came to the part in the story where we'd lost Aerith. All in all, it was quite a night.

When the story was finished, Yuffie and her adoptive grandparents sat in silence for a few moments, looking to one another.

Then, the old man laughed and hugged Yuffie. "You're a hero! Who would have known!" And we all had to laugh, because, honestly, there wasn't much else we could do with the situation.

We said our good-nights, thanked the couple for the meal and the tea they'd provided us, and left for the inn.

I wasn't tired. In fact, I didn't sleep often to begin with. Chaos had stayed mostly quite for the majority of the day, something that was unlike him. I wasn't about to ask why, however, as, to be completely and brutally honest, I didn't give a shit. All I really cared about was the fact that I'd managed some peace in my head for a little while that day.

It was well into the night when I heard a soft knock on my window. Somehow, I should have known she'd come looking for me at some point. I stood, opened the window, and stepped back while she climbed into the room. She bumped against me slightly, placing her hand against my forearm to steady herself.

"Hey, I'm glad you're up. Sorry to barge in like this."

I studied her, quietly, for a moment before I shook my head.

"What?"

"It's not like you to apologize so easily. It's rather unsettling."

She grinned at this, then shrugged. "I can't remember what I used to be like."

"I know. You don't need to worry. It's just strange, that's all."

Sitting on the end up my bed, Yuffie kicked her legs up into the air for a moment before looking around. "So I was kind of a bitch, then?"

That took me by surprise. "Bitch? No, not quite. Outspoken, loud, opinionated, and you had a penchant for materia that belonged to other people, but 'bitch' isn't a word I would used to describe you."

She smiled, then held out her hand. "I guess some things don't change, eh?"

I looked down, and in her outstretched palm were two of my materia orbs. Taking a deep breath, I let the air out through my nose in an aggravated sigh. "I suppose not."

Yuffie handed them back to me, cheeky grin plastered to her face. "Can ask you a few questions?"

I sat on the bed next to her, and rested my elbows on my legs. "Of course, Yuffie."

"The story Cloud told was true?"

I nodded.

"It just seems so... I don't know- strange. It's a lot to take in."

"Is it strange because you can't remember any of it, or is it strange that you can't believe any of it?"

She was quiet for a moment. "A little of both, I guess. Even while he was telling the story, I didn't remember any of it. I was hoping some of my memories might be triggered by what he was saying, but it was like reading a book for the first time; you don't know what's going to happen next. Plus, there's the whole tentacle alien manipulates psychotic super-soldier thing. It just seems pretty fake, you know?"

"It does sound pretty fantastic, doesn't it?"

She nodded, smiling up at me. "But, it seems too elaborate to be made up, if that makes any sense. You knew who I was when you saw me, and Cloud and the other people he came with all seemed to know me, right on sight, and you all added your own pieces of the story as it was told. I mean, if this is all a hoax, there's way too much thought put in into it just to get a laugh from a girl who doesn't remember any of you."

I patted her knee, hoping it came across comfortingly. I wasn't good at sentimental bullshit. It was a weight off my chest to see her alive again, but it was just as burdening to know that she couldn't recall my face, let alone Cloud's or any of the others.

"So," she trailed off, swinging her feet off the bed.

Raising an eyebrow, I looked down at her. There was something serious on her mind; even if she behaved like a different person, she was still just as easy to read. "What is it?"

"Would you be willing to travel with me for a little while?"

I hadn't been expecting that, to be honest. It was obvious she could read the surprise that was strewn across my face as she began to elaborate.

"Well, I was thinking that Cloud's story didn't spark any memories because they were just words. What if I need to physically be in a place to remember something?"

I took a moment to consider her words, then nodded in agreement with her. "I suppose that does make sense. I'm not one to know how these things work, but you'd figure that might be a simple solution."

"And besides," she shrugged. "Even if I don't get any of my memories back, I'll be gaining new ones along the way. It's not like I'm doing much here, anyway. I wait tables in exchange for rent. Sure, I love grandma and grandpa, but I can't exactly stay with them forever."

I'd spent the last year scouring the earth for her. What was a few more weeks of my time spent helping her regain her memories?

"If traveling is what you wish, I'd be willing to accompany you."

She stood up and put her hands on her hips, triumphantly. "I'll tell grandma and grandpa in the morning. We can leave tomorrow, after breakfast."

Without letting me get in another word, she happily bounced out the window and into the night.

'Oh, wonderful. This is quite a situation you've managed to throw us in.'

Ahhh, and here was the witty repartee from Chaos. "And how do you figure that? It's just a few more weeks of traveling. Before it was without her, and now it is with her. It'll be much like when we were hunting Sephiroth, and we all traveled together."

'You're so thick in the head, Valentine. Before, you all had a goal. Now you're just cavorting about with a little girl-'

"She nearly nineteen now-"

'Hopping from place to place-'

"It's in hopes that something will spark her memories and-"

'Crossing your fingers and hoping with all your hearts that she might remember something just because she's been there before-'

"What the hell else am I supposed to do, Chaos? You know damn well that I can't just leave her here. Even if she doesn't get her memories back, she'll have at least tried."

'You've such a soft heart, Valentine. It was once your downfall, and will be once again. Just you wait.'

"Oh, shove it up your ass."

He was quiet for the rest of the night, but I could feel him sulking.


	4. Why assumptions were made

All Places In-Between

By Mihoyonagi

Chapter Four: Why assumptions were made

"I'm gonna miss you, you little shitfire."

"Grandpa, don't say that; grandma is going to yell at you if she hears you talking like that."

"She can't yell at me if she can't hear me."

"I heard you just fine, and Yuffie is right- don't say things like that. You're a bad influence."

Somehow, I was expecting a teary goodbye. I'm not one for goodbyes myself, to be honest, but tear-filled this particular farewell was not. Yuffie's adoptive grandparents laughed, hugged, and then went back inside their bar like it was nothing out of the ordinary.

Cloud, next to me, scratched the back of his head. "You sure you're okay taking her around like this?"

I'm not a good conversational partner. Chaos would love to agree with that, I'm sure, but the fact is I just don't like to talk about pointless things. I don't mind the talking. What I mind is the boredom and discomfort of trying to keep a conversation going when I've run out of important things to say. I'd told Cloud the situation, yet, every five minutes, he felt the need to ask my certainty over the entire ordeal.

"I'm not going to change my mind, no matter how many times you ask, Strife. Besides, it's not like you or Tifa can take time out of your new lives right now. Go back to Marlene- go back to the bar- go back to your delivery service. I'll let you know if I need any help, alright?"

"_Promise_ you'll let us know if anything comes up."

I didn't dignify him with a response. I simply started at him, intensely, until he caught the message, sighed, and walked over to Yuffie.

"So, you're sure this is what you want to do?"

Yuffie gave Cloud a good once-over, looking at him from shoes to spiky hair. "I can make my own decisions. Besides, Vincent said he'd take me all the places we went. Either I get my memory back, or I don't. What else am I supposed to? Sit here and do nothing?"

Cloud opened and closed his mouth a few times, but could find nothing to say. Finally, he gave up and shrugged. "Alright, you two obviously know what you're doing. Just be safe out there. I don't want to have to start search parties for the both of you."

Chaos scoffed. 'I deserve more credit than that.'

Had I been alone, I would have rolled my eyes. _'Yes, Chaos, we all know you're a badass. Tone it down.'_

'Stuff it, Valentine.'

Touchy demon, isn't he?

Yuffie, shifting her weight from one side of her body to the other, regarded Cloud with a somewhat respectful look. "Don't worry. We'll be careful." As she walked past me, toward the port, she shook her head. "Is he always like that?" she asked, once were were out of earshot.

"Sometimes. Well, most of the time. He is just worried we are going to lose you again. Cloud does not take loss well."

"He seems like a good guy. A little stuffy, but a good guy."

I chuckled. "Cloud is easily the single most honest person I know. He's not mean about it, either- he'll just tell you exactly what he is thinking or feeling, whether or not you wish to hear about it."

"I guess it could be worse; he could be an asshole."

"I can't picture him being deliberately mean to anyone."

"What about that part of the story he was telling last night where he threatened to chop that guy's balls off? What was his name? Corneo or something?"

Chaos howled with laughter inside of my head. 'This might be a better trip than I thought, so long as she keeps her good sense of humor.'

I was less amused. True, Cloud had threatened to chop a rather sensitive part of the male anatomy off of another human being, but Corneo deserved it. I wasn't with the group when they had initially encountered such a waste of flesh and blood, but I was present when Yuffie had been kidnapped by him. At the time I felt a little smug over the fact that it was actual karmatic justice being served – Yuffie had stolen our materia, and then she herself gets stolen up. It was a little humorous, too, watching her fly her mouth despite being tied to the face of a sheer cliff. Regardless of all of that, in the end we managed to get our materia back and Yuffie stopped stealing from our pockets. She threatened to, but she never went through with it.

"Yes, but Corneo deserved it."

She shrugged as we exited the elevator and made our way through the upper levels of Junon. We both had dressed a little warmly- the wind had a bit of crisp edge to it, the kind that made pants and a light sweater comfortable. My cape would do me just fine- cold and heat weren't things that troubled my body too terribly – but I had an extra sweater in my bag just in case the chill got a little too uncomfortable.

Though her mind may have not remembered her trouble with ships of all variations, her body sure did. It was hardly a few moments after we boarded our boat heading for Costa del Sol that she began to moan and dry-heave. I gave her a few tranquilizers in hopes that it would calm her stomach down, but they didn't seem to have any effect on her sea-sick body in the least.

She stayed holed-up in our cabin for the trip with the door locked, and when we landed and were once more on solid ground she demanded we 'get the hell out of the damned heat' as it was only making her sickness worse. I hadn't been part of the group when everyone had come across the ocean, so, other than Cloud's story from the night before, I really had no idea what everyone did while in the sunny port town.

Our conversations were short lived, something that, most of the time, I was thankful for. Our little chats usually involved her asking questions, and me unable to answer most of them.

It was nearing nightfall, marking the end of the first day spent searching for her memories together. Other than her bout with sea-sickness, it wasn't a bad day.

"So, once we get through the mountains, where are we headed?"

"Well, we can stop at the Gold Saucer for a bit."

Yuffie nodded sagely, as if she knew what I was talking about. I wondered, vaguely, if she knew what I was talking about. Ah, well, better to surprise her.

And, really, it was a pretty damn good surprise, if I do say so myself. When we boarded the gondola, she looked at me with uncertainty in her eyes. "I don't recall if this makes you sick or not, but it's not a very long trip up the Saucer, so perhaps it won't bother you that much." Without speaking, though she did have a pained look about her, she boarded the car and we rode to the top.

The look on her face made me smile. It wasn't often Yuffie is rendered speechless. Well, perhaps this version of Yuffie might have been without words more than a few times, but not yet in my company, nor anytime beforehand that I could recall.

"Holy shit," she muttered, eyes wide with excitement and awe.

I flashed my lifetime pass to the woman at the door – Cloud had made sure we all get one, after having returned more than a few times before, since, in the long run, it was most likely cheaper – and Yuffie and I breezed on through. A man in a chocobo suit handed us a flier that advertized free GP if we ate dinner at the restaurant lining the chocobo tracks. I explained to Yuffie that GP was the type of currency accepted at most places in the Saucer, and it only took a second for the gears to start turning in her head.

Yuffie looked up at me, her eyes wide. I didn't even let her speak, for the simple reason that I knew what was coming. "Yes, we can go." There was no aggravation in my voice. How could I be mad at her for wanting to do something fun? Besides, the majority of this trip would be for her, and perhaps getting sidetracked now, on our first day out in the world, was better than being sidetracked later.

We arrived, after having placated our appetites with the buffet bar, at the game square. Yuffie patted the pocket she had crammed her GP in, and began toward the stairs leading up to the arcade.

She was promptly bowled over by something small and furry.

I picked Cait Sith up by the scruff of his furry, mechanical neck. He wiggled in my grasp, his voice disguised by an accent. "Put me down!"

Offering my other hand to Yuffie, I helped her stand while I placed the puppet on the ground. "Reeve, you could have hurt her."

"It's been a while since I've operated this blasted thing, Valentine. Cut me some slack."

"Okay, what the hell is going on?" There was a tone I remembered from her.

"Yuffie, this is another friend of ours. His name is Reeve Tetsui. This puppet is Cait Sith. Reeve is controlling him from Midgar."

Yuffie knelt down and extended her hand. "Nice to meet you, kitty."

Cait Sith looked up at me. "So, it's true. She doesn't remember a darn thing, does she?"

"I'm still here, you know. And no, I don't remember anything about any of you. Vincent here was nice enough to travel with me. We're hoping I might regain some of my memories if I visit places I've been before."

"Well, that's a wonderful idea. I wish the both of you the best of luck. You know you can contact me, or Cloud, or any of us for that matter, if you ever need help."

I rolled my eyes. "Cloud made sure we knew. Trust me."

Yuffie poked the cat in the stomach. "This is just a puppet?"

"I've contributed well enough, don't you worry."

"Yeah? What can you do?"

"Well, I'm good at sneaking into places. I'm a good fighter, too. And, I can tell fortunes."

I'm fairly certain Chaos rolled his eyes. 'Can't you shut the little bastard up?'

_'Let Yuffie have her fun.'_

"You can tell fortunes?" I could easily hear the wonder in Yuffie's voice.

"Sure thing! Do you want me to tell your fortune?"

She nodded, and I was reminded of how child-like she could be. Still, I couldn't help but be amused.

Cait Sith did a funny little dance, turned around in a circle three times, and presented to Yuffie a little slip of paper. She took it from him, unfolded it, and read her fortune out loud. "Be strong, and face your fears. Your lucky color is red. Be wary of the number three."

The was a moment of silence, and the magic was suddenly broken. Yuffie stood up and turned toward me, annoyed. "This little thing was actually useful?"

Ouch. Reeve made Cait Sith look dejected. "It's not -that- bad of a fortune."

Yuffie rolled her eyes and began again toward the game square. She may have lacked her memories, but she acted much of the same as she once did. Or at least had roughly the same attitude.

"Keep her safe, Valentine." It was not a recommendation- I could hear the authority, despite the silly accent it was accompanied by.

I nodded once and followed Yuffie up the stairs.

The rest of the night went drastically better than the strange run-in with our comrade. True, I knew little of Yuffie, but I also knew little or Reeve and his little mechanical cat. Well, I didn't really know much of anyone of my supposed friends, but that was more my fault. My lack of willingness to listen to their problems was most likely the reason. I admit I come across as a cold man to most. I'm not necessarily cold. I just don't appreciate people's bitching. I have my own problems. I have -tons- of my own problems, and the last thing I need added to my mind is the whining of another human being.

Chaos, ever the smart-ass, attempted to point something out. 'Why, then, if you so hate the problems of others, have you thrown yourself headlong into Yuffie's set of problems?'

_'Because her problems are legitimate. There is no bullshit behind what she is going through, yet she doesn't complain. I hate the problems of others because their problems are worthless and without merit. Losing your memory is difficult. There are not many in this world who would bounce back as masterfully as she is trying, and for that I commend her. That is why I accompany her.'_

'Bahamut above, Valentine- you sound like a whiny little bitch.'

_'And your vocabulary is lacking.'_

'Conversations with you just aren't as fun anymore, human.'

_'Likewise, demon.'_

"Vincent, come play the crane machine with me!"

"What is it that you are trying to catch?"

"The duck. The blue one, not the pink one. I hate pink."

It took a few handfuls of GP, but we eventually managed to get her the duck. She was pleased, but, true to her nature, her attention span was limited and as soon as she held the duck in her arms, she wanted to do something else.

Apparently, she was very good an arm wresting. She not only beat the machine on all three levels, she beat several of the onlookers that had gathered around. She didn't cheat, either, something that she might have done before she forgot who she was.

"You, too! Let's see what you've got!"

I held up my hands in mock surrender, shaking my head and indicating that in no way was I wanting to participate. "You're far too good for me, Yuffie."

"You're a bad liar, but I'll let it slide since you helped me get my duck."

We played the racing game, something I was more or less forced into – that kind of thing really wasn't my cup of tea – and tried out virtual snowboarding. Turns out neither of us are good.

When Yuffie yawned and began to rub her eyes, I decided that it was time for bed. I wasn't particularly tired, considering sleep isn't something I'm prone to, but I didn't want a tired Yuffie when we set out the next day.

"It's time for bed."

"It's not like we are on some kind of time restraint. Who knows when I'll get my memories back, if even at all. Besides, aren't you having fun? This place is great!"

"I'm uncomfortable in large crowds."

She paused, and looked deep in thought for a moment. "Sorry. I didn't know."

"It's alright. I don't think you knew beforehand, anyway. Think little of it. But, I don't want to hear you complain tomorrow if you're tired. You're right- we aren't on a time constraint. But, if something here hasn't jogged a bit of your memory yet, we should keep moving."

She threw her arms up in mock frustration, though she smiled. "Alright, alright- you win.

Our rooms were adjacent from one another. I stood outside her door, making sure that her door key worked properly before I turned toward my own room.

"Vincent?" I felt her hand touch my elbow.

I turned around. "Yes, Yuffie?"

I was expecting something along the lines of, 'goodnight.' I was expecting perhaps another question. I was expecting her to beg to let us stay one more day to play.

I was not expecting her to kiss my cheek.

My eyebrows just about skyrocketed off my face. Even Chaos was left silent, wondering what was going on- quite a feat, to leave his smart mouth without a witty retort.

Yuffie's face changed, suddenly. "Uh-oh."

I remained silent, looking down at her, waiting for an explanation.

"Sorry. I guess I assumed wrong."

"What?"

She pulled back her arms, looking flustered and annoyed with herself. "I assumed that, since you were the one to come after me, and since you were the one to agree to travel with me, we were, well... together."

I didn't think my eyebrows could get any higher. I cleared my throat and shook my head, dumbly.

"But, I guess I should have talked to you first, huh?"

I tried to swallow my emotions. "You startled me, that's all. And, no, Yuffie; you and I were never 'together.' I came after you because you were, well, for lack of a better term, my friend."

She sighed and shook her head. "But, the way the stories were told- you were the only one to keep searching for me. That's why I asked -you- to travel with me. I though we might have been something more."

I didn't know what to say. Why _was_ I the only one to have kept after her? Because I'd refused to allow the image of her death cloud my mind? Because after losing Aerith, I refused to let another friend go? Because I had nothing better to do?

"I'm sorry I led you on, Yuffie. We're just friends, nothing more."

"And I'm just an idiot. Goodnight, Vincent."

The door was shut on my face, and I was left to stand, alone and dumbfounded, in the hallway.

'For what it's worth, Valentine, she's quite cute.'

_'Chaos, don't even try to make this situation humorous.'_

He just laughed, sadistically.


	5. Why Galian came out to play

All Places In-Between

By Mihoyonagi

Chapter Five: Why Galian came out to play

We practically bypassed the village of Gongaga. Most of the town had remained the same; the few houses, and the heaping garbage heap that was once a reactor. We browsed through the item shop and bought a few potions, but at the end of an hour we both decided to leave.

"I just didn't get a good feeling in that place," she complained, rubbing her arms as though they'd broken out in gooseflesh.

"That's all you ever have to say, Yuffie," I assured her. "To be fair, I highly doubt we'd find anything that would spark a memory for you there. From the way Cloud told it, the first time you stopped there with everyone else, none of you had stayed long."

"So," she continued once we were back on the open road again. "Where are we going from here?"

I gave myself a moment to think. "Well, we are headed to Cosmo Canyon now. I figured something there might help us, and if not we can at least meet back up with Red again."

I could practically hear the gears in her head turning. "Red was the big talking cat who came with Cloud to Junon with the rest of your -our friends?"

"Yes, good."

"I didn't want to say anything in front of anyone else, but do you think if I ask him nice he'll let me pet him?"

I choked back a laugh. "I'm not sure, to tell you the truth. I don't know if you have before, either, so I suppose it wouldn't hurt to just ask."

"He just looks so soft and cuddly."

"He's a giant cat with a flame on the end of his tail who helped take down a psychopath with a god complex."

"He's still a cat. I bet he secretly loves to get scratched behind the ears, but won't admit it because it's too undignified."

"Is that why you were so curt with Cait Sith?"

She smiled up at me, as if I'd figured out a secret. "If he's a mechanical kitty, he can't feel it when you scratch him behind the ears."

'She's quite odd, wouldn't you agree?'

It was a random and sudden statement on Chaos' part.

_'Yes, I suppose she is.'_

"Where are we going after Cosmo Canyon?"

"I figured we could stop by in Nibelheim. That's where I joined up with everyone, so perhaps you might remember something there. After that, we can stop by Rocket Town and visit Cid."

"Cid is... the old guy, right? Who smokes? Grandma made him put out his cigarette at the restaurant."

"Yes, that was Cid."

"He's the pilot of that big ship you were telling me about the other day?"

"Yes. He was also one of the first men in space."

Her eyes grew wide. "He's been in space? Like, up in a rocket?"

I gave her a sad look. "Yes, up in space, in a rocket. You were there, too."

If her eyes had grown any larger, they would have popped out of her head and rolled around in the dirt. "Cloud said some of us got to go up in the rocket, but I didn't think I went! So, I've been in space? You're shitting me!"

"Not at all. We've been in space. Just about died there, too."

That shut her up for the rest of the day. I watched her, curiously, as the day wore on. She was deep in thought. At times, she looked genuinely happy and would sneak furtive glaces up at the sky. Then, as night fell, she began to look somber.

"Are you feeling well?" I was setting up the tent when I glanced at her simply staring off, through the trees, to the darkening evening sky.

"I'm okay."

"You're a terrible liar, Yuffie. If there is something troubling you, I'm here to help you. That's why I came."

She sighed, and I could tell she was having trouble getting her thoughts in order. "It's just all so crazy. I feel like I should remember, or I'm about to, and then I lose it all. It's really frustrating having other people tell me what I should remember."

She was quiet another minute or so, long enough for me to finish staking the tent. "What if I don't get my memories back, Vincent?"

I looked at her and saw both the fretting child and the exasperated woman within. "I don't know what to tell you. We can at least try to make it all worth while for now."

She looked dejected, as if had given her an unsuitable answer.

"When we get to Cosmo Canyon, we will buy you a notebook. That way, you can write down all of your thoughts so you have them with you. When you finally remember something, you can write it out so you won't forget it again."

This placated her greatly, apparently. She smiled up at me, puffed her chest out slightly, and announced she was going to collect firewood and that she'd be back in a few minutes.

The moment I was left alone was the moment Chaos pounced. 'She's quite the bright little firecracker, Valentine. I can see why you are spending so much time with her.'

_'I am spending time with her because she is my friend and because she needs me.'_

'She could have asked that thick-headed supposed leader of yours, or that big-chested boxer, or any of the others for help, but instead she assumed you two were an item and asked you to travel with her. I think she has a crush on you.'

I rolled my eyes. _'You're just looking to stir things up, Chaos, and it won't work. Even if she feels something for me, there is nothing between us. Besides- once she regains her memory, things will be a little more like they used to be.'_

'You're as straight as an arrow. Have a little fun.'

I spat, becoming angry. _'She's not a mouse and I'm not a cat. There will be no playing, there will be no fun. I'm her friend, and that is the end of it.'_

The problem with sharing a body with demons, other than the obvious fact that I was _sharing a body with demons,_ was that while most of the time I was in control, there were instances that occurred every great once in a while where my personality would be overlapped by something else. That was most commonly the reason for my random cravings of raw meat; Chaos, sick of eating food fit for normal human consumption and what he generally referred to as 'gross,' would get a craving himself that would, then, be transferred to me. That also meant that, at times, I would feel the desires of some of the beasts housed in my body.

Chaos liked to toy with me. He was a bastard if there ever was one, and it could be easily said that he took great joy in making me squirm.

Today's method of torture was a mental image of Yuffie clad in nothing but her panties that burned behind my eyes for just a fraction of a second.

"Bahamut damn you, Chaos- this shit isn't funny! Knock it the hell off!"

He laughed sadistically. 'Why should I? It pleases me so to watch you in a state of such discomfort!'

"Who are you talking to?"

I spun around to see Yuffie, arms full of tree branches, saunter back into camp.

She hadn't yet been reminded of what creatures I housed inside of me. Well, this would turn out to be one hell of an awkward night.

"There is a creature within me that likes to piss me off."

She cocked her head, her eyebrows raised in surprise. Apparently that had not been the answer she was looking for. "Uh, creature? Inside of you?"

Yeah, the rest of the night went just about as smoothly.

I don't like to talk about myself. I find anything that has to do with me boring. Sure, my past has the potential to sound like a seductive story of misfortune that makes me out to be some closed-hearted, afraid to love again, leather pants-wearing storybook hero, but really? My life is just messed up.

"So, let me get this straight. You were a bodyguard to some crazy-hot scientist who accidentally had a hand in killing your father, though you don't blame her in the slightest for it, and she ended up running off with some nut-job who then, after you protested against them using their baby for science, shot and experimented on you. If that wasn't enough of a kick in the balls, the baby in question grew up to the be the same psychopath we had to kill in the crater to keep him from destroying the world."

"Well, thanks for summing my life up in two badly worded sentences, Kisaragi." I knew she wasn't saying such things out of spite. That didn't, however, mean I wasn't allowed to be pissed off.

She threw her hands up in aggravation. "Don't get mad at me! It's not my fault I can't remember, any more than it's my fault that your life sucks."

I took a deep breath through my nose as I tried to calm myself. I knew it wasn't her fault; none of it was her fault. Why was I becoming so mad?

"My apologies, Yuffie. This is just very hard to talk about for me."

She snorted. "Then why are you talking about it?"

There it was again, that bad attitude of hers. She had no idea who she once was, yet she had the uncanny ability to revert back to her old ways without realizing it.

"Because while you should know, you do not. Because you need to know. Because if you don't, and you never remember what went on, I'll eventually have to tell you anyway."

She looked at me, her face a mix of mild disgust and annoyance. "Have you always been such an asshole, or is this a new development? Because, hey, I don't _remember_."

Yup. There was the old Yuffie again. I stood and kicked dirt on the fire to put it out, plunging our little campsite in darkness. "I'm going to bed," I announced, annoyed with both her and myself.

"Well, that answers my question," I heard her mumble to herself.

Twice in the night her little feet came out of nowhere and punished me, once in the shin, and one in the back of the thigh. I couldn't discern if she was awake and picking on me, or if she was just a kicker when she slept, but either way I knew I would have little bruises in the morning. It didn't help that she had a bad case of freezer feet; even though my clothing I could feel how cold her toes were.

Morning was much like the night had been; she woke up, wiped the sleep from her eyes, glared at me, and began to pack up her things. It was late into the afternoon before I realized she wasn't going to let it go.

"I'm sorry from being, as you so eloquently put it, an asshole."

She remained silent, a few paces ahead of me.

"I'm not used to this much human interaction. This is probably the most I've talked with someone in thirty years."

That caught her attention. She peered over her shoulder at me for a moment, then looked back to the path.

"How old are you, Vincent?"

"Twenty-seven," I answered, automatically.

I'd been twenty-seven when I holed myself up in the coffin in the Shinra mansion basement.

True to her nature, I knew she was pondering something.

"...You're lying."

"And how do you suppose that?"

"The stories don't match up. Unless it was a little kid we killed up at the crater, you'd have to be older than twenty-seven. If that Sephiroth guy was an adult, like I know he is based off both Cloud and your stories, that means you're older than you say you are. Otherwise, Cloud wouldn't have idolized him before he joined in the military. Plus, under the right circumstances, had that scientist lady hooked up with you instead of that other guy, you'd be Sephiroth's dad, right? So, you're older than twenty-seven."

I was stunned into silence for a moment. 'Twenty-seven' is an automatic answer my brain programmed itself. It's easier to tell people I'm the age I look, rather than the age I really am.

"How long did you say you spent in that coffin?"

I swallowed, uncomfortable. Damn her for being so observant.

"Like, thirty years, right? So, that makes you... almost 60, right?"

I didn't say anything. I don't like talking about my age. I don't like talking about the fact that whatever creatures inside of me keep my flesh and bones young while the rest of the world withered and aged.

"Right?" Still, she pressed.

"Yes, I'm almost 60." I grit the sentence out through clenched teeth.

She looked, again, over her shoulder at me, cheeky grin on her face. "Not too hard on the eyes, for an old fart."

Oh, Chaos howled with laughter. 'Did you hear that, Valentine? She just paid your wrinkly 'old' ass a compliment.'

"Drop it."

Another look was sent my way, this one harsh. "What?"

"This is not a subject I talk lightly about. This is not a subject I normally willingly share with others. Cloud and the others have their speculations, I'm sure, but they know not to bring it up in conversation, and I would appreciate it if you granted me the same favor."

She stopped and looked up at me, her eyebrows knitted together. "Sorry," she shrugged, lamely. "I didn't mean to piss you off- I was just curious, that's all."

I sighed, tearing my gaze away from her. "Save your apology for another time, Yuffie. Just don't bring it up again, please."

'God, you're such a stick in the mud.'

_'Chaos, for once in your miserable existence within me, shut the fuck up.'_

He did, but I could feel him both laughing at my discomfort, and seethe at the anger I'd directed toward him.

The afternoon went better. She changed the subject, and I gladly told her details that Cloud had left out of his storytelling in the days before. She had me once again tell her the story of how we'd rescued her and the little Turk girl, Elena, from the clutches of Corneo.

"Hey, I'm hungry. Do we have anything left for the day?"

The sun was setting, and I'd honestly thought we'd be in Cosmo Canyon already. The monsoon season had apparently torn through the canyon only days before, most likely a week at the most, and we couldn't travel by means of the canyon bottom. Instead, we made do with the little trails up the cliff-side, and at times on top of the entire canyon itself.

"Not enough to keep you satisfied. Look around for some berries; I'm sure there are plenty of edible things around."

"I don't know jack crap about plants; I'm not going to risk vomiting my insides out just to snack on a few berries." The word berries was said with as much affection as one might say the word roadkill.

I looked around, at a loss. "Let's see how far we have to go, and maybe I can catch us something if we need to rest for the night."

That placated her enough for a little while, but when we rounded another turn and made our way up the canyon hall I spotted the gate toward Cosmo in the distance. "There," I pointed so she could see. I scanned the area, looking for a quicker route. "If we travel through the woods, we can get there faster."

A slightly overgrown area sprawled out before us, most likely growth that had shifted down from the Ancient Forest.

I heard her stomach growl an hour later. "I though you said this would be faster," she huffed, rubbing her stomach as if it would sooth the pangs.

I stopped abruptly, and she almost walked into my back. Overhanging from the vines were something I recalled from my childhood. Little red, round berries hung down in clutches, almost like someone had strewn them about in a half-hearted attempt at decorating the forest.

"What is it?" Yuffie pawed at my shoulder.

"I remember my mother making necklaces out of these," I reminisced, absentmindedly touching my fingertips to the berries.

"Are the edible?"

I frowned. To be honest, I had no idea. "Not sure."

So, I plucked one from the vine and popped it into my mouth.

Bad news and good news promptly accompanied my actions, the bad news being that they were not, in fact, edible, and the good news being that it didn't matter because it didn't affect the beings within my body. I suppose there was also another tidbit of bad news, because while it didn't affect anything -in- me, it sure as hell was affecting -me- as it suddenly felt like I was going to vomit everything I'd ever consumed in my life.

I knelt down, feeling a sweat break out on my forehead. "Don't eat them," I warned Yuffie.

"Shit- are you going to be okay?"

And that's when I felt it- tiny little claws ripping at the inside of my mind. Chaos had stopped laughing at my pain... I knew things were worse than bad.

_'Chaos?'_

'Let me out, Valentine. Your body isn't doing so well.'

I don't get scared often. In fact, I'm usually the one doing the scaring. But, as I looked on as the ground beneath me began to spin, a wave of panic overtook me.

I grew scared for two reasons. The first was that, in the last thirty years, my body had been in pristine health and physical condition. The fact that the world was spinning and I was beginning to grow nauseous was -not- a good thing. My other reason for being scared was how calm and collected Chaos had sounded. Either he was actually worried, or he had something dirty up his sleeve, and based off the fact that our relationship has him coming off as no less than a bastard nearly one-hundred percent of the time, I wasn't keen on trusting him.

"Vincent?!" Yuffie's voice was panicked.

'Valentine, let me out. Now.'

I grit my teeth to keep from losing consciousness. "No. I'll be fine. I'm just sick."

'You are the most stubborn fuck on the planet. Let me out so I can help you.'

I dry-heaved so strongly that my back arched, and I let out a guttural sound akin to an animal being maimed. Bahamut's left nut, the pain that swept over my body was so intense I began to black out.

'If you hate me to much that you'll keep me locked up, even when you're about to die, that's fine. But don't do this to the girl- don't die on her watch. Compromise. Let another one of us out.'

I knew, now, how bad the situation was becoming. It, however, hardly took me half a second to reach out and call one of the other demons.

"Yuffie, whatever you do – whatever happens – don't run. Stay where you are and I promise you'll be safe."

"What are you talking about, I-"

She didn't have time to finish her sentence. I called out with my mind and soul, begging for help.

_'Don't hurt her, please. I trust you, Galian.'_

The world faded to black.

XXXXXXX

It's been so long, so, so long, since I was let out. Vincent hardly ever calls on my aid, and I grow lonely, so lonely, as I watch and wait and sleep. I understand his words, his silly human words, but I cannot speak to him in a way he would understand. I know he can feel my emotions at times, but words are needed to better a conversation. I wish, oh how I wish, I could speak like a human, with their silly human words.

I like words. I cannot speak them, I cannot read them, but I can think them and I can understand them.

It was nice being let out. Vincent trusted me. I liked that. I liked that, even though I was his captive, even though he never talked to me unless he needed me. If I had words, I would speak to him, but not like Chaos. Chaos pokes and prods him, and says mean things. I would not say mean things.

Everyone else thinks I mean because I look mean, because I can kill things with one swipe of my paw. I am not mean, even though I can kill things, even though I am bigger than the rest of them.

I am not mean, and Vincent said he trusted me, asked me not to hurt her, so I will not hurt her or be mean. She is very nice to look at- like a little bird with little bones. I do not think I would hurt her, even if Vincent hadn't asked me not to. She is too pretty to hurt. Her eyes, gray like rainclouds, were big with fear. Tiny little frightened bird.

But she is brave. She stands before me, even as I huff and heave, glad to be solid again and breathing air. She stands there, her hands clenched at her sides, and while she shakes with fear, she does not run.

I stretched, the bones in my spine popping. I shook my mane, feeling glad to be outside.

I heard Chaos in the back of my mind.

'You doing okay, big guy?'

I cannot speak, but Chaos understands me well enough without words. He doesn't tease me like he teases Vincent, which is good. I let out a howl, throwing my head back. It was nice to speak in my own way.

'Keep her safe.'

Sometimes I liked Chaos, and sometimes I didn't. He liked the little girl with the bird bones, the little bird girl, wanting me to keep her safe, and so I liked him for now.

My paws felt heavy. It's been so long since I was let out. I clawed at the dirt with my nails as I walked over to the girl.

She shook, but she stood there, did not run. I pushed my nose against her hand, wishing, again and again, I could speak.

I will not hurt you, little bird girl. I licked her hand.

I sat at her feet- my eyes came to her belly. Slowly, she reached out and put her hand on the top of my head. She went to scratch behind my ears, and I knew I liked her. No one scratched me there, everyone was always too scared.

"You're like a big kitty-cat." Her voice shook, and I knew she was both scared and not.

I nudged her hand with my head, enjoying being scratched. I wished I could be scratched behind the ears more often, almost as much as I wish I could use words.

She was hungry. I could smell it. But besides hunger, she also smelt like burnt earth and the forest when it rains and just a little bit of sweat. I liked her more and more.

I moved away from her, edging away from her hand that scratched at my ears, even though it felt so, so good. Vincent did not have a nose like I did. He could not smell the berries he'd eaten before he'd eaten them. I knew they were bad, but I lacked the words to tell him. He should have eaten the apples, hiding away in the canopy of the trees, just behind the vines where the berries hung.

Digging my back paws into the dirt, I stood tall and shoved my front paws against the tree, pushing with all my might. The wood snapped, but the tree did not fall. I did not want to kill the tree. I only wanted the apples for the bird girl.

They fell, tumbling down from the top of the tree, and I carefully picked one up in my teeth by the little stem, bringing it to the girl. Her hands were still shaking, but I could no longer smell fear on her.

She looked down at me, and I knew she was confused. I took one of the apples from the ground and bit it in half, swallowing it down without chewing. I looked up at her and motioned to the apple in her hands.

She had no memories, so she didn't recognize me. For some reason, this made me a little sad. But I recognized her. She was a good fighter, and strong, and loud.

I watched as she ate more apples. When she was satisfied, I licked her hands clean. She laughed at this, my tongue tickling her fingers. I liked it when she laughed. High, like a bird.

"When Vincent said he had creatures in him, I never expected them to be so nice. I'll have to ask him your name when I see him again."

Yes, I would like that. I would like to hear her call my name.

'They were heading toward Cosmo Canyon. Can you take her there?'

I knew where they were going- Chaos didn't need to tell me. I bumped her legs with my nose, shrugging over my shoulder.

She hesitated, and I could smell her fear again. Just for a second I could smell her fear, but it was there.

"Are... Are you sure that's okay?"

I huffed and let out a growling bark. She jumped at this, but it wasn't from fear. I waited patiently as she lifted one leg and climbed onto my back.

She was warm. I liked her warmth. No one had ever been on my back, but I didn't mind it as much as I though I would. Or maybe I didn't mind because it was her.

Her hands wove through my mane, her fists gripping my hair. Once I was sure she was ready, I ran.

Oh, it felt so nice to run. I missed it. I wish Vincent would let me run more. But I cannot ask him, and he doesn't know I like to run, so I never do and he never lets me.

She laughed on my back, pressed low against me, as I bounded off the canyon walls.

"I'm sick to my stomach, but this is the most fun I've ever had!"

Silly girl! You don't remember anything! How can you be so sure?

Still, I was happy that she was happy.

I couldn't read what the gates said, but I knew we had reached Cosmo Canyon.

When I heard the soft sound of paws, big paws, coming to meet me, I pressed my ears against my head and growled. I was protecting the girl, my pretty bird, and no one would hurt her.

But when the paw noises grew louder, I recognized them. They belonged to that big, red cat. I didn't really like the cat. But, he was a friend of Vincent's, so I would not be mean.

The red cat stopped when he rounded the corner.

"Yuffie? And Vinc- no, Galian?"

Ah, so Yuffie was the name of my bird.

"Is that his name?" She got off me, her legs shaking. She was sick, but happy.

"Yes. What happened?"

"Vincent ate something weird in the forest, and got really sick. I'm not sure exactly the details, but I think he transformed so he could heal or something."

Ah, smart girl! Smart and pretty and nice-smelling.

"...Was it a red berry?"

"Yes. That bad?"

"Good thing _you_ didn't eat it. One berry is potent enough to kill ten me."

I'm glad she didn't eat the berry, too. She'd too pretty to die, too nice-smelling, too warm.

"You must be tired. We can talk in the morning, when Vincent returns.

I didn't like the cat. I didn't like that he could speak and I could not. But, I was tired. It's been so long since I last ran. My feet were hurting, my legs were hurting.

We followed the cat, Yuffie bird girl and I, into the town, up the stairs, through the tunnels and stopped at the inn. The man at the desk unlocked a door for us, and the cat let us go inside first. His eyes grew wide when he saw me. I could smell just a little fear.

"Do you need anything, Yuffie?"

I had fed her. She was not yours to please, cat. Watch yourself.

"Galian is his name, right? Galian shook some apples from the trees in the forest, so I'm okay for now. But, thanks."

I was the one who shook the apples down just for you, bird-girl. I even cleaned your hands. The cat shall not feed you.

The cat nodded and left, and I growled at his back.

She petted my head. "Don't be mean."

I folded my ears down. I am not mean, but he is not the one to protect you.

She curled up on the bed, taking off her shoes. I heard her sigh. "I wish I could remember him."

I put my weight on the bed after her, hoisting myself up.

The frame crunched under my weight, and Yuffie, my bird, screamed. She was not scared, just startled. She put her hands on my chest and pushed. "Get off, you broke the bed! This is where I'm sleeping. Sleep on one of the other beds."

I growled not to frighten her. I growled to let her know that her little arms could not push me, and that I would sleep where she slept because I was supposed to protect her.

She rolled her eyes, and I felt guilty. I did not like to see her mad at me. But, I would not move.

I curled up next to her, my chin resting on her side. I liked the up and down motion as she breathed. I liked how warm she was, and how she smelled.

I fell asleep, wishing I could tell her that I liked her.


	6. Why my headaches will perpetuate

All Places In-Between

By Mihoyonagi

Chapter Six: Why my headaches will perpetuate

When I came to in the morning, Galian was kind enough to show me his memories from the night before. Though we couldn't speak to one another, I felt from him a rather smug sensation of pride when he showed me how he'd fed Yuffie, and kept her safe during the night. I began to grow slightly guilty over the fact that I never called on him save when I was in need of a favor; he was, it seemed, quite a nice, erm, monster. Beast. Demon... Creature. Yes, that one fit a little better.

In place of the gap my memories had left resided a headache of rather gruesome proportions. I pulled my hair-wrap down around my eyes before Id' even opened them; I knew they'd be sensitive to light. They always were after I transformed. Usually, after transforming, I was left a little weak, somewhat agitated, a little sore, and very hungry. However, I usually only transformed for a moment or two in battle. Galian's romp last night was the longest I'd ever let one of the creatures in my body possess me, and it was taking its toll; my muscles felt stiff, like I hadn't used them in weeks, and my stomach let out roar so loud even I had to crack a smile. Which was all well and good as I discovered Yuffie was in the room with me.

"You want me to go get you something to eat?"

"If it's not too much trouble. I would appreciate it."

When Yuffie got off of the bed, she had to all but peel me from atop her. When Yuffie got off off of the bed, I realized that I'd been all but sprawled upon her. When Yuffie got off of the bed, I grumbled at Galian.

I heard Chaos laugh when Yuffie had left. 'Galian liiikes her,' he teased.

"Better than not liking her, I suppose," I mumbled more to myself as I sat up. My back was stiff and my spine cracked in protest. "He could easily make a lunch out of her."

Chaos liked my attempt at humor, and responded with yet more of his own. 'Lunch? Please- there isn't enough meat on her bones for a snack.'

_'So glad to know that you've put enough thought into the topic to be aware of that.'_

Yuffie entered the room, all smiles, with a plateful of fruit and a few slices of toast. "The big cat-thing says that you need to eat all you can."

For a moment I debated the idea of correcting Yuffie speech, and the fact that she called Red a name I'm sure he'd be very offended had her heard her use it in reference to him. Then, my stomach growled again, openly shouting protest to how empty it was, and I couldn't find it in me to give a damn.

I cleared the entire plate. It wasn't quite enough to completely satisfy, but at least my stomach wouldn't scream at me again. As I was finishing the last bite of my toast, Yuffie, who up until this point had been quietly watching me stuff my face, shifted where she was stilling and met my eyes, smiling.

Oh, shit. Here came another barrage of questions about me.

"So, that thing you turned into last night... Galian, right? What was he?"

I wiped my mouth with my napkin and tried to find a way to answer that question. "He's a demon, but as far as -what- exactly, I honestly couldn't tell you."

"How many other things are inside that you can – you know – transform into?"

"I know of four, whom I'm able to communicate with on some basic level. As to how many creatures, demons, exactly, are inside of my body... I'm not sure. I know of at least a few weaker demons, but they are not strong enough to possess or communicate with me."

"Can you show me some of your other forms?"

I just about spat out my juice.

"I called Galian as a last resort, Yuffie," I tried to keep my voice calm. "Out of all of the creatures that my body houses, he is the one I trusted to do the least damage. You should be happy he decided not to eat you. It's not like I'm friends with any of the things inside of me.'

I heard Chaos chuckle in the back of my mind. 'And why, Valentine, do you think that is?'

Yuffie tilted her head as she gave me a scrutinizing look. "Not friends?" she inquired. "They live inside you, and they help you when you need it. How are they not your friends?"

Chaos laughed even louder. 'Such a smart little thing, she is! Ask yourself the same question. Why -haven't- any of us become friends? The only thing I ever feel from you is hatred, malice, resentment. Who would want to be friends with a human who hates what is inside of him?'

This stopped me for a moment. As much as it pained me to admit it, both Chaos and Yuffie were right. In a way, the things inside of me and I were... well, friends wasn't a good way to describe the messed up relationship. Friends don't possess their friends' bodies. Yet, at the same time, they all came to me when I called, when I needed their help.

Even Chaos.

He positively shrieked with laughter when he realized what discovery I'd just made about myself, about us. 'I hate you, yes. But don't think that I, or any of the others, wish you harm. You're not the reason we're imprisoned; you're not the one who did this to us.'

It was kind of sad to hear him laugh, when he spoke of such an ideal. It was all true, too, which didn't help the sad factor it was already suffering from. For all the hatred I had toward the demons inside of my body, none of them seemed to blame me for it. Even Galian, the most beast-like creature imprisoned within me was somewhat rational, and never showed hatred toward me in return. Hell, it had been Galian who had taken such good care of Yuffie. He'd fed her, let her ride his back, and guarded her all night, and all I did was ask him to aid me.

I was beginning to feel sorry for the demons inside of me.

But, to be fair, my hatred of them wasn't without merit. It wasn't, truly, hatred directed at them, but what they served to remind me of- they were my punishment for not being able to be a stronger man, for cowing when Lucrecia asked me to, for not having died on that operating table while Hojo screwed with my body.

Hating them was easier than hating myself.

I must have been silent for a little too long, because Yuffie began to wave her hand in front of my face. "Hellooooo? Anyone in there care to come back to Gaia?"

Shaking my head and pushing her hand out of my face, I apologized. "Just thinking, that's all."

"Thinking? The look on your face didn't seem like a 'thinking face,' it looked more like a 'I'm a sad little puppy and I'm going to look the part' face."

Was she always this frustrating?

"My past is not an easy thing to think of, for me."

"You were brooding."

"I was not brooding, I was thinking."

"Okay. You're not an asshole, but everything you say just sounds like farts."

Chaos just about died laughing. In fact, I'm fairly certain that I heard Hell Masker and Death Gigas choke out a chuckle, too. Between all of them, Yuffie and my inner demons, I was going to go mad by the end of the journey. "Did you just call me an asshole, Yuffie?"

She smiled, took the plate off of my lap, and jumped up off the bed, completely avoiding the question. "Get your ass out of bed and show me around. It's weird talking to the cat- he always acts like I should know what he's talking about, then lapses into awkward silences when he realizes I don't."

I rubbed my temples, counted to ten, and followed her out the door. It was rather futile of me to direct any anger at her. Most of the time it wasn't warranted, and the rest of it she just let slide off her back. Yuffie, memories intact or not, was resilient.

"This is the library," I made a gesture to encompass the entire room. Dust had collected on the shelves lining the wall, and little webs of spiders long dead littered the corners of many of them.

Red had found us partway through the tour, though it was obvious he didn't know what to say, if anything at all. He piped in occasionally, but I was left to play the part of tour guide most of the time. "This area hasn't been used much since Grandfather passed away. The Elders use it from time to time, but there aren't as many wandering scholars as there once was."

We trudged through the rest of the silly attempt at a tour, no one really that excited. When we climbed the ladder and entered Red's home, however, the fire-cat grew excited. Entering the door across from the kitchen, his tail began to flicker and twitch. "Hit the switch, would you please, Vincent?"

I did as he asked, and the room plunged into darkness. The map of the night sky suddenly illuminated the room, planets and star systems flickering and burning.

Yuffie's eyes grew wide and her mouth hung open. She reached out to touch one of the planets, but her fingers slid through the hologram.

It was several minutes before she said anything. "I don't remember this, but... It seems really familiar- like I should."

Red's tail bristled with pride. "That's a good sign, I think. You were right to take this course of action, to travel the world and visit all of the places you've forgotten."

Still gazing up at the stars, Yuffie's hand absentmindedly found Red's head. She scratched behind his ears, and as we all admired the map of space I could hear the faintest sound of purring.


	7. Why we will keep going

All Places In-Between

By Mihoyonagi

Chapter Seven: Why we will keep going

I am not an optimist. Optimism has never been part of my personality, nor do I think it will ever find its way in somehow. Even before I was gutted and filled with demons, I was never one to look on the bright side of things.

In fact, I used to drive my mother up the wall. She would always press me to look at the bright side of things, but I, ever the pessimist, would often make mountains out of molehills. Time and again she would tell me that I got such a personality from my father's side, but I never remember my father being quite as much of a downer as people have informed me that I am. Truth is, I don't have many gripping memories of my father, but I'll save that for a therapy session that will never come to light.

It's rather hard for me, then, as one can imagine, to keep optimistic for Yuffie's sake considering my past. It's difficult to change who you are for the sake of someone else. Yes, it's doable. No, it's not easy, no matter who they are to you.

And, that was another thing I was coping with.

What -was- Yuffie to me?

She'd mistaken me for her lover after I'd unselfishly vowed to traipse around the globe with her, in search of her memories. The truth had been a bit of a shock to her- though she acted no differently around me after she'd been informed of our rather formal relationship, I could tell it had bothered her. Perhaps not at first, but as we left Cosmo and walked through the seemingly endless fields of tall grass toward _Nibelheim_, there was an odd tension between us. I wasn't completely sure that was the problem, however, but it was my best guess.

"Might I ask you something, Yuffie?"

She smiled at this- I could hear it in her voice, though I could not see her face. "I'm usually the one doing the questioning, but I guess I owe you one. Shoot."

"Are you feeling well?"

He foot caught and she just about tripped, but managed to catch herself before she fell. "That wasn't what I was expecting."

"What were you expecting?"

"I don't know- for you to ask if I was sure there wasn't anything I remembered and have avoided telling you or something."

"If you're not comfortable talking to me about something you think you remember, I'm not going to force it out of you. I'm not a psychiatrist, and, honestly, I trust you enough to know you would hold enough reasoning behind it."

"Were you always this stiff?"

"Are you going to answer my question?"

She was quiet for a moment, as if weighing her words. "I have a funny feeling. Like wherever we're going isn't right."

Ah, this made more sense than her fretting over the innocent kiss she'd given me. Silly me to think something as trifling as that would bother her...

"The town we are headed toward is called Nibelheim, and it comes as little surprise to me that you'd get a bad feeling. The whole town is a dank, depressing hole in the mountain side, not to mention that most of the people that populate it have been paid off by ShinRa to keep quiet about what happened about six years ago."

I watched her face scrunch up. "Not only do I not remember what you're talking about, I don't think I remember that part from the story Cloud told."

"Don't worry- I don't expect you to remember things off hand like that, and Cloud's story was an overload of information all at once. Nearly six years ago was when Cloud returned to his hometown, Nibelheim, with Sephiroth, as part of a ShinRa squad sent to check on the reactor in the mountain. This is the place where Sephiroth was first possessed by Jenova. He nearly killed both Tifa and Cloud, and then he burned most of the city to the ground. Many of the residents were paid off by ShinRa to cover for what really happened. In a way, this is where everything started. Had Cloud not been in that squad, I doubt any of us would have come together."

She made a quiet noise of affirmation, squinting into the distance. "This is the same town we found you, right?"

"You remember?"

"Yes and no. I remember from Cloud's story."

Well, at least her short-term memory was decent enough.

Surprisingly, it wasn't too late in the day when we reached Nibelheim. The town had expanded slightly, but it was still small enough to be considered backwater. Several people on the street hurried into their houses when they noticed me, and I didn't blame them. Many of them were only afraid of my outward appearance, but I knew the faces of several of them, old ShinRa employees who had relocated after retirement to keep an eye on the town. In the old, tyrannical regime of ShinRa, no one ever truly left the corporation; you didn't have to do daily grunt work any longer, but your ass still belonged to the company. I'll be damned (no pun intended) if there was another employee who had survived being ousted from the company aside from myself. Well, and Cloud, but he'd come out of it with possibly more issues than me, and that's saying something.

"Should we stop for the day, or do you feel you can keep going?"

Yuffie puffed out her chest and flexed her arm muscles. "This is a shitty little hole in the wall. I don't want to stay here if we can help it. I keep getting the heebie-jeebies."

"Before we leave, I think it might be smart to take a look through the ShinRa Mansion."

She looked at the building set against the far reaches of the town and wrinkled her nose in disgust. "I don't like the way this place makes me feel."

"I hate to press it, but I feel as though it might be a good idea to at least look through the place. If you're getting a bad feeling just being in town, we might be able to trigger a memory or two once we are inside."

Her nose remained wrinkled, but she nodded in agreement and began to trudge after me.

The house was as desolate as I remembered. Other than the few times I'd returned as part of Cloud's group, the mansion was somewhere I had avoided. It did nothing but remind me of how fucked up my life had become. Truly, standing in the foyer of the decrepit old shit-hole was the last place on Gaia I wanted to be, but, for the sake of Yuffie and her lost memories, I swallowed my misery, didn't utter a word of complaint, and tried to be a good friend.

Inside, yes, it was killing me, but outside, I remained as cold as stone.

"Didn't Cloud mention something about a basement in this place?"

I nodded and, despite all of the nerves in my body standing on end, led Yuffie down the spiral staircase and into cellar. My heart sounded like a drum in my head, making my ears hurt with every beat. Yuffie, however, would never know how it pained me to be there. The need to find her memories outweighed my own discomfort, no matter how great, if only for a little while.

I paused when I realized she was no longer following me toward the library. My breath hitched when I turned around and caught her standing outside the door where my life took a nosedive into hell. Without even looking toward me, she pushed open the door and walked into the room I'd spent thirty years sleeping off my sins.

I followed her, but I had to force myself to do it. She stood in the middle of the room with her back toward me, looking intently at the coffin I remembered all too well. Her hand shot out in front of her, and she pointed at the casket. "Stand in front of me."

"Yuffie, I-"

"Do it."

The commanding tone in her voice gave me a little jump. She'd always been a little bossy, sure, but that was authority I heard in her words. Something was going on inside that sly little mind of hers.

I did as she bade, as uncomfortable as it made me. Crossing my arms in front of me, I faced her and stood silent and still. I could practically see the gears turning in her head.

She pointed to the right, a few steps in front of her. "That's where Tifa was standing."

My eyebrows just about shot off my head, and I managed to forget my own discomfort for a few moments.

She pointed in between us, wrinkling her forehead in thought. "And that's where Cloud stood."

My heart raced, but for reasons other than fear. "You remember?"

Yuffie turned her head to her left and looked over her shoulder, somewhat ignoring me. "Red was somewhere over there."

She was silent for a while. Then, she looked up at me and smiled. "I don't think I remember conversations or anything, but I do remember being here."

I couldn't help but smile in return. "I'm glad we came down here, then."

"Yeah, now let's get the fuck out of here. This basement is as creepy as hell."

Not needing to be told twice, I hightailed it up the stairs of the mansion, Yuffie close behind.

Once on the road again, Yuffie opened her arms wide, toward the sky, and let out a high, chirping laugh. "I can't believe it worked."

"You can't believe what worked?"

She smiled at me, sheepishly. "To be honest, I haven't had much confidence in this whole trip. I mean, we've been on the road nearly a week now, and I guess I was just beginning to lose hope."

"I understand where you're coming from." It was the truth, too. Even though it was a single memory, it was something. Despite my seemingly constant pessimism, I was actually growing rather optimistic over the idea that this trip might be worth something more than sightseeing. It looked as though Yuffie was on the same length of brainwaves, too, because her smile only served to show me how happy she was. That, in turn, only told me that she might not have been happy before. I wonder if our arrangement was making her uncomfortable in some way...

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Is it your turn again?" I reached out my hand and helped her up a waist-high ledge as we began to make our way through the mountain trails.

"It's gonna seem... strange."

"I'm not going to force you to ask me something you're not comfortable with."

"Did it really weird you out when I kissed you? Because you've been acting funny.

Oh, did she really see how ironic that was? No, of course, how could she? I was the one fretting over the idea that she had been fretting over it, and how the tables ended up turning.

"No,it didn't." The response was a lie, but what was I mean to tell her? That it stirred up memories of my past? It had been so long since I'd been able to relax in the presence of a woman, since I'd let another person close to my heart.

Who could blame me? The last woman I loved had undone me.

True, I didn't love Yuffie. I cared for her, as she was as close to a friend as I would willfully allow, but love? Love is something I keep hidden away, far out of reach.

Love is the only emotion that can cripple you, can make you helpless and harmless. You fear to destroy love, and it only serves to destroy you.

"Are you sure? I don't want things to get weird between us."

I had to admit, even with the age difference, I did see Yuffie as a woman. She was naive, and a little too outspoken for my taste, but she had womanly attributes all the same. She exhibited grace when she was walking; she showed appreciation for beauty; she, though I hardly ever witnessed it, could be delicate. Those alone are not traits of a female, but gathered together in one person and you had the right recipe.

"If I may speak freely, Yuffie, it merely surprised me. I didn't want you to grow upset over it. I was worried it had bothered you."

She shrugged like it didn't matter, and we continued to walk.

It wasn't an awkward silence that invaded the space between us, but I could tell she was thinking.

_'Perhaps she is hoping for something more?'_

'Was that comment of yours devoid of sarcasm?' It was strange to hear Chaos without a snide tone in his voice.

_'No,'_ he continued. _'I just don't want things to go down the wrong path. She's still a child, and you're not ready to admit that your heart can mend.'_

'It cannot. Not after what was done to me.'

_'You carry your hurt like some sort of medal; it's disheartening, and rather disgusting. Get over yourself. You're alive, you've saved the world, and you have a group of friends who care for you. It's not ideal, but at least your life has a sliver of meaning.'_

I thought on that for a moment, quickly coming to a conclusion. 'You don't hate me, do you, Chaos?'

_'Ah, now he shows his intelligence.' _There it was again, that mockery in his speech._ 'I never told you I hated you. I do not like you, but I do not hate you. What I hate is how you love to wallow in self-pity. You hate me, and the rest of the others to a measure I'm sure, because we only serve to remind you of what you lost, of what you weren't strong enough to protect.'_

'That's not it, I-'

_'That is exactly it. You hate us, your inner demons, instead of putting that hatred toward your flaws, your metaphorical demons. That makes it easier for you- that way, you don't have to accept blame, you don't have to admit you are the one in the wrong. You've many years on you, Valentine, but you're very much a child in your thoughts and reasoning. Don't act so noble all of the time. Despite the things that swim in your blood, that reside in your mind, you're still very much imperfect, and perhaps a little weak. You act so noble, but when the next day breaks yes you will have been wronged in many ways, but you will also remain the man who slept with a married woman and didn't regret it.'_

A cacophony of emotions swirled through me. I didn't realize I was growling, much like that of a mad dog, until something hit my shoulder. I snapped my head up and looked at Yuffie, who had a small handful of pebbles in her hand. She threw another little rock at me, just to make sure she had my attention.

"Do I even want to know?"

I sighed, forcing my emotions to level themselves. "My apologies. Just a little inner-dialogue with one of my demons I wasn't truly ready, or willing, to hear."

She made a face at me, then turned and kept walking.

_'She thinks you are mad.'_

'I might as well be, with all of the voices in my head.'

_'Would both of you kindly shut the fuck up?'_ Hellmasker, the demon who'd spoken to me the least, pipped up. _'You're like an old married couple...'_ He grumbled, then retreated to the farthest reaches of my mind once more.


	8. Why she's so important

All Places In-Between

By Mihoyonagi

Chapter Eight: Why she's so important

We didn't make it through the mountains by the time the sun set, and ended up setting camp on the worn pathway. The fault was entirely mine- it had been some time since I'd last ventured through the peaks that separated Nibelheim from Rocket Town, and I merely lost track of how gruelingly long the journey was. Well, I suppose that it wasn't my fault one of the bridges was down, but I still felt slightly guilty over thinking we could initially saunter through the mountainside in little less than an afternoon.

It didn't seem to bother Yuffie, however, so I tried not to allow it to bother me, either. We ate dinner in comfortable silence, went to bed before it became too late, and woke the next morning bright and early.

Most could easily guess that I am not a morning person. In fact, most assume that I'm not a daylight person. I'm not a vampire; I just dislike waking up. Bitter, tin-pot brewed coffee didn't serve to better waking, either. Perhaps I'd just give it up and go without.

We could see Rocket Town in the distance by mid-afternoon, Yuffie complaining that she had cramps in her legs and thighs the entire way into town.

"Can we get a room at the inn so I can rest for a little bit? Walking across flat grass is one thing, but hiking through a mountain range in a day is another."

"It's hardly a range, and yes, we can get a room so you can rest."

She squealed in delight, and promptly halted her complaining.

I paid the innkeeper for a double, thanked him, and herded Yuffie up the steps toward our room. "It's the last one on the right," I instructed her.

Sighing contently once in the room, she flopped down on the bed closest to the window. "No sleeping on the ground for you tonight, missy," she mumbled to herself.

"Do you want to visit Cid while we're here?"

She wrinkled her nose in thought. "He's... the pilot, right?"

"Yes."

"Old fart?"

I stifled an amused snort, disguising it as a cough. "He'd curse you until you turned deaf if he heard you call him that."

"Yeah, I wouldn't mind seeing him. But, can we rest a little first?"

"Take your nap," I softly chuckled. "I'll let him know we are in town, and see if he isn't too busy."

Yuffie was asleep by the time I locked the door behind me.

The town had grown in months past, through not rather extensively; A new pub and a library, another food market and a bike store. I knocked on Cid's door, wondering vaguely if Yuffie liked to read.

Shera greeted me in a friendly manner, and for a moment I felt bad that I didn't know her better. Still, her warm smile was a drastic change from the cold weather, and it was welcomed no less.

"Cid is out back, if you'd like to meet him."

"Thank you. He has a new project?"

She laughed, as if it were a joke. "He always has some sort of project, doesn't he?"

I found the old pilot on a rolling trolley, only his legs visible from under the monstrous wreck of a car he was tinkering with.

"Shera, hand me the pliers, would you?"

"I'm not Shera, but I'll happily assist."

Cid rolled out from under the car, smiling and covered in grease. I handed him his requested set of pliers after having fished them from the toolbox at his feet "If it ain't Valentine. Where's Yuffie?"

"A little tired from our trek through the mountains."

"Bridge still out?"

"Of course."

He stood, wiped his hands as free of grease as he could manage, and shook my hand. Cid and I, while never having conversed much, knew the roles we kept in the party; the elder, wiser, and mostly responsible adults, though we did argue over what was considered responsible. Dynamite was not responsible, especially when lit from the cigarette dangling from his mouth. But, when comparing us to those in the rest of our rag-tag troupe of ruffians, dynamite was still somewhat reasonable. A giant sword, a gun for and arm, and half-assed plan to scour the face of the planet in search of a man most of us had little or no connection to in a scatter-brained plot to save the world. Dynamite might be preferred, in some cases.

"I came to make sure you weren't busy."

He shrugged, digging the grease from under his nails. "I'm always busy, but that's just because of who I am." He laughed, like it was a tasteless joke, and shook his head. "Apparently, word got around pretty damn fast over the rocket's success. Now, everyone and their damned granny wants me to fix whatever mechanical problems they have."

I looked to the car. "I didn't take you for one to be able to fix cars, to be honest."

"I'm just fucking with this thing; I don't know what the hell I'm doing with it. Cars and rockets aren't the same thing. Might as well assume Zoloms and chocobos are alike, because they're both made'a meat."

"Yet you fix them?"

"I sure try to. Bein' a hero ain't easy. Cloud has it nice- no one knows what he did to earn the title, while I'm here, slaving my ass off, because I was the first man in space."

The was a comfortable silence between us. I knew he jested; Cloud didn't have it easy, though no one knew of his bravery and resolve save for those who fought with him. He was still slightly messed up in the head, as were all of us to be sure, but saving the world and then running an orphanage would worry the hell out of me, too.

"I mostly stopped by to make sure you had time for us later."

He shrugged. "Always got time for you crazy sons'a bitches. Come back closer to suppertime and I'll fix something real nice for us."

For a moment, Cid looked as though he wanted to say something more. He opened his mouth, frowned, then shook his head. "Keep your wits about you, eh?"

I nodded, slightly confused, and bid him farewell.

I thanked Shera once more as I passed through the house again and, on a whim, changed my walking direction toward the bookstore. A literature lover at heart, I couldn't resist the urge to at least look around. Besides, it had been a long while since last I read a decent book; perhaps I'd find something worthwhile. It wasn't as though Yuffie was going any place, and I wasn't really looking forward to watching her sleep.

It was a decently stocked store, to my pleasant surprise. Sure, there was the usual trash novel here and there, but I found a few items that looked interesting.

I was waiting in line at the checkout stand behind an elderly gentleman who was digging through his pockets for his store loyalty card when Cloud Strife walked through the door of the shop. I grew puzzled. He waved at me, and stepped up next to me in line.

"Checking up on us, are you?" I teased.

"Uh, a little, I guess." There was a vein of uncertainty in his voice; it was easy to hear.

I paid for my purchase and Cloud followed me out the door. "You're not the visiting type, Cloud. I know you were worried about Yuffie and I when we first set out, but I've called you multiple times to update our status. What is it you're in need of?"

Discomfort radiated off of him in waves. "I didn't want to get you worked up, I guess. Reeve and I got to talking last week, and we decided to have a professional take a look at Yuffie."

I gave him a look of disbelief. "You think I would be against this?"

He frowned again, then ran his hands through his hair. Ever rebellious, the golden locks stuck right back up into place. "There aren't a lot of doctors employed by the company since Reeve helped clean out ShinRa. No more human experimentation or augmenting."

A prickling sensation raced up my spine. I had a bad feeling about this. "Cloud, cut to the chase."

He sighed and turned his back to me, heading toward the inn I'd left Yuffie asleep at. "This wasn't easy. It took Reeve six hours on the phone to convince me to even think about it."

I saw his slight regression into himself, into madness, as he spoke, and I began to fear for the worst. Poor Cloud was talking more to himself than to me, now, so I simply followed and kept my mouth shut.

"It's fucking crazy he's still on payroll and hasn't been canned yet. Hell, I'm surprised he's still alive. I can't believe some of this shit-"

Chaos stirred, uncomfortable, while Cloud kept babbling. 'I'm not quite sure I like where this is going...'

The black car in front of the inn should have given it away. But, somehow, my brain refused to comprehend what exactly might be going on.

Rude greeted Cloud with a simple nod as we passed by and made our way upstairs.

Cloud stopped outside the room, turned, and faced me. "I'm not strong enough to control you if you lose it, so you're going to have to suck it up, deal with it, and control yourself. We're only doing for Yuffie's sake, because we don't know anyone else with enough credentials to diagnose her if something is actually wrong other than memory loss."

"Oh, Ifrit below, Cloud, you didn't-"

I realized who he was talking about a moment too late. He swung the door open.

How could I forget that voice? That voice had haunted my nightmares for the past thirty years.

Hojo sat on the cotton sheets of the bed, next to Yuffie, with a chart in his hands, pen in hand, scribbling notes in the margins of the paper.

It took less than a second for his eyes to connect with mine.

It also took less than a second for me to draw Cerberus and aim it at his head.

With a dejected sigh, Hojo placed the pen and chart on the bed, next to Yuffie. He raised his hands in surrender and merely looked at me.

"Put your gun away, Vincent." Yuffie's voice sounded as though it came from far away. My hands shook. My fingers positively itched to pull the trigger.

He may have been mako-enhanced, but a bullet to the brain would still end him.

That's all it would take, too, Just one. Cerberus would fire three at once, which made me all the more certain he wouldn't get back up.

"Valentine, please-"

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't pull this trigger."

His hands still in the air, Hojo sighed again. "I'm not going to preach my self-worth to you, Valentine. I am well aware that my playing god won me no friends. By all means I deserve the ending you have planned for me, but for the sake of Miss Kisaragi's delicate sensibilities, hold off shooting me until she's no longer in the room."

Yuffie, however, took a less demure approach. "Put your fucking gun away, Vincent, and take a deep breath."

I inhaled sharply. I could feel my lip quivering.

Shiva above, I wanted nothing more than to kill him.

I lowered my gun, but kept my finger on the trigger. "How do you keep coming back to life, you insufferable cockroach?"

"I keep asking myself the same question. I suppose I'm just stubborn."

Cloud patted my shoulder, ushering me into the room. "Inside. I don't want to cause a scene."

He closed the door behind us before I turned on him. "Why?

Cloud shot me a look I couldn't quite distinguish. "Do you think I'm okay with this, Vincent? Don't think I hate him any less than you do. The only difference between us is that I don't let my hatred own me."

It was a slap to the face, Cloud's words. He, too, had been subject to Hojo's torturous experiments, and while I could see from the look in his eyes that he hadn't forgiven the crazy bastard, he'd let his hatred of Hojo go.

He tugged on his ear, trying to busy his hands; a telltale sign of his discomfort. "I'm not okay with this, but, as far as I know, he's the only person who would be able to tell if there is something more seriously wrong with Yuffie."

Oh, so noble, Cloud. Had he any idea how insufferable his honesty and selflessness made him?

I glared at Hojo, who still had his arms in the air. "Can I continue to diagnose the young lady?" It wasn't a challenge. It was, instead, a request for permission.

Cloud nodded instead of me, and Hojo picked up his chart again and began to inspect his writings. After a long while, he finally spoke. "I'm going to ask Miss Kisaragi a series of rather personal questions. I'd appreciate it if the two of you could leave the room."

I balked. "I'm not leaving her alone with you."

Hojo didn't raise a fuss. Instead, and much against what I remember of his character, he calmly explained himself. "These questions are between doctor and patient."

"You've never had morals before."

He sighed and held the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger, as if arguing was the last thing he was interested in.

"Miss Kisaragi, I suppose you have some say in this; if you permit it, I'll allow these two to stay in the room during my questioning."

"Call me Yuffie, please, and Vincent can stay. Cloud- get the hell out."

He didn't need to be told twice, and for a sliver of a moment I envied that he could remove himself from Hojo's presence so easily.

Yuffie glared at me. "Whatever he asks me, and whatever I answer with will not leave this room. Do you understand?"

I was taken aback at her authority and the tone of her voice. I nodded and sat in the chair next to the bathroom door. Cerberus remained in my good hand, my finger on the trigger.

"Since washing up on the shore in Junon, have you been menstruating normally?"

Oh. These kinds of questions.

I felt my face go red, and I pretended to busy myself with looking around the room.

The invasion of privacy didn't, however, seem to bother Yuffie.

"Yup."

"When was your last period?"

"Now. Started two days ago, when we passed through Nibelheim."

"Have you noticed any excessive weight gain or loss recently?"

"No, but I don't exactly know my body type before I lost my memories."

Hojo turned to me. "Does she look much of the same?"

I nodded.

"Sex drive normal?"

"Not really sure what it was like before I lost my memories, and I haven't really put much thought into it. Dwindling, I suppose, but more for lack of interest than anything else."

"Any soreness between your legs?"

"Only when I'm on the rag. I cramp like a motherfucker- but I've got aspirin for it."

He scribbled more notes. Clicking the end of his pen, he bade Yuffie to open her mouth. He inspected her mouth and ears, her eyes and nose, and poked and prodded her a bit around her throat. I watched, carefully, as he listened to her heart and her breathing, taking her pulse and blood pressure.

"Unless you feel the need to adhere to an entire physical examination, I think most of what you went through is trauma."

"No, I don't think I really need a physical. Nothing out of the ordinary. And, I guess I kinda assumed trauma or something."

"The human body is an amazing thing, Miss Kisaragi-"

"I told you to call me Yuffie."

"So you did, my dear. So you did. The human body, and mind I might add, is an amazing thing, Yuffie. When we undergo something horrendous, or such a high level of physical and emotional pain, we shut ourselves off. Now, I couldn't begin to guess as to what happened to cause your memory loss as there are simply too many possibilities, I have a feeling that, since you've already managed to recover a few of them on your travels, you are well on your way to rediscovering yourself. Since you're not willing to submit to a physical examination on the belief that you're fine, I'm afraid I can't offer any more assistance on the matter."

She took a moment to contemplate, as did I.

When did he become... like this? He was almost normal.

'You're the one who demonized him, to an extent,' Chaos observed. There was no mockery in his voice- he was a simple statement. 'He was crazy as sin when you met him, yes, but you made him into the devil because of what he did to you.'

"I've been having trouble sleeping from time to time. I don't remember what I'm dreaming, but when I wake up I'm covered in sweat and crying."

Hojo nodded, sagely. "It seems part of you wants to remember, but another part doesn't. Your body and mind are in conflict. Would you like it if I were to prescribe you a sleep-aid?"

She nodded, and he took up his pen.

"This one will help you get to sleep, and keep you there. It's non-habit forming, but it might make you a little groggy in the morning." He tore off the piece of paper and handed it to her. "Give this to Rude, downstairs."

Yuffie made a face, and Hojo shook his head. "I apologize. He's the bald man in the navy suit. He's the only one in wearing sunglasses downstairs."

She looked to me. "You gonna be okay, alone?"

I merely nodded.

"Please don't kill anyone, Vincent. I don't want to think of you like that."

When she'd gone, I leaned forward in my chair.

"Since when have you gained morals?" I accused.

Hojo, packing up his things, shrugged. "When you and your lot killed Jenova, I gained a bit of my humanity back. Not a lot, but enough to come to terms with how fucked up I'd become. I'm not far-gone enough to think I can make things right. I, however, can make things a little bit better."

"Is that why Reeve hired you back?"

"He only agreed when I willingly set fire to my lab. I destroyed all of my findings, all of my research, the rest of what was left of the Jenova project. All of it."

"So now you're just a doctor?"

"You make it sound so simple. I'm the physician for the staff, yes, but I've been branching out. Reeve insists that I hold free clinics for those in the slums, those who cannot otherwise afford treatment. I cannot count the titles that precede and follow my name, Valentine. I provide any medical service I can to whoever asks, be it a simple diagnostic like Miss Kisaragi, or acting as a therapist for the soldiers with post traumatic stress disorder. I've even been meddling about in the botany labs as of late, hoping to find a way to speed the growth of plants that provide food for humans."

There was a long silence between us.

I wanted, with all of my being, to kill him.

But, the longer I looked at him...

He just looked so tired, so worn. He looked so... Human.

"I hate you."

He shook his head and chuckled lightly. "I'm sure you do. I fucked your body. But, Valentine, don't act so noble. You fucked my wife."

And then it made sense. It all made sense.

He hated me as much as I hated him.

"Lucretia came to me when she couldn't find solace in you any longer. Can you blame her?"

Hojo didn't look to me. "I can. I never struck her, never forced an argument, never fought with her. I was never coarse, and I tried to make sure she was constantly happy. I loved her, Valentine; and she knew it. Toward the end... she wanted out. She wanted to stop what we were doing to Sephiroth in the womb. That's why I treated him so... poorly."

"Because she wanted out? Because she wouldn't give you exactly what you wanted?"

Either he choked back a sob of remorse, or he merely snorted. "I thought she wanted out because he was yours. I thought he was yours, Valentine."

"But the tests, the blood samples you had on hand-"

"I couldn't bring myself to administer a paternity test until Sephiroth was fifteen. He exhibited behavior I'd observed in my father when I was younger, a nervous twitch of sorts. By then, it was too late. Too late, much too late."

'The poor fool,' Chaos chided.

He barked a sudden laugh and shook his head. "I won't apologize to you. You fucked my wife. You killed my son. But, for what it's worth, if anything at all, you were one of my best experiments. Almost perfect."

It felt strange to hear the man who had cursed me compliment me in a way I wasn't aware someone could. I was far from perfect, and the opinion of a crazy son of a bitch wasn't something I prized, but it somehow made me feel a little lighter.

"I won't say I'm sorry, then, for fucking your wife and killing your son. You played god, and you came out holding better cards than anyone else might were they in your position."

I flexed my gloved hand, leather stretching over gunmetal. It made a strange yet comforting groan.

"Would you kill me now, Valentine?"

I paused for a moment.

"No. I want to. I've dreamed of it. But, now that I look at how fragile you've become without power, killing you would be giving you the easy way out."

"Ah. You're still so sharp."

"I can see the scars on your neck- you've tried to hang yourself."

"You were mostly correct when you alluded to my cockroach-like ability to stay alive. No matter what I do, the J-cells react and prevent my death."

"But Jenova is dead."

"Yes, she is. But her cells have a life of their own. She has no more control, no more voice, but I can feel her power lingering inside me."

"A bullet would do it."

"Ah, yes, it would, but that's something you've missed; I'm vain. I wouldn't be able to leave such a mess for some poor fool to stumble upon. The idea of a self-imposed crater where my head normally resides is just enough to turn me off the eating lead idea." He paused before he opened the door. "For what it's worth, Valentine, take this to heart; you and I both loved Lucretia. In fact, we let her ruin us. Such power she had. But, in the end, a woman who cheats to be with you is a woman who will cheat -not- to be with you."

His logic infuriated me to a level of anger I haven't felt in years.

'Calm down,' Chaos urged, his voice surprisingly and uncharacteristically even and gentle.

Yuffie peeked her head around the corner of the door frame. "I don't mean to push your buttons, but he's right, you know."

I looked up at her. "You were listening?"

She shrugged and strolled into the room. "I made Cloud leave. He has a point, though. You can't trust a woman who left another man to be with you, not when the relationship she was leaving was a decent one in the first place. Well, decent for crazy scientists, I mean. But, he said he never hurt her, that he tried to make sure she was happy. Yet she stayed married to him while she sought you out." She paused. "You can be mad at me if you want."

I felt drained. "Perhaps later," I sighed.

It was then, at that moment, I was the most vulnerable I could ever recall being. I was weak, and I let my sorrow and anger consume me. I babbled.

"I loved her so much."

"I know."

"I was such a fool."

"Only a little."

"She loved him, still loved him, when she came to me. I knew it, some how, deep down, I knew it, yet I just ignored it."

"I don't think it's so different from what someone else might have done, given the circumstances. You loved her, and wanted her to love only you, so you made Hojo the bad guy."

"He played god. He-"

"I know. He -is- the bad guy. Or, well, was. He doesn't seem like quite the villain I'd imagined. But, you took away something he loved, something he treasured. At least you're still alive."

"Hardly. I'm stuffed with demons, and-"

"Look, I'm not going to sugar coat this. What he did to you was shitty, yeah, but what you did to him was shitty, too. I hate to say it, but, in a way you brought it on yourself."

I indulged myself in something I hadn't done since I was eleven.

I cried.

Immortal, immovable, uncompromising, unshakeable Vincent Valentine, host to a hundred demons, killer of a million monsters, cried.

Not even Chaos had it in him to tease me.

Yuffie's tiny little hands were on me in a heart beat, tearing at the wrap that covered my eyes and kept my hair from my face. She stood me up, placed my gun on the bed, and ushered me into the bathroom.

It didn't even register that she was undressing me until I stood only garbed in my pants. She handed me a towel, told me to wrap up in it, and then she turned around. I was so numb I did as she told me to without question or hesitation. I climbed into the tub she'd filled for me, the warm water heating my skin despite my not truly enjoying it.

She hand me bend forward, and she washed my hair as if I were a child. She dumped the little bucket of water on my head over and over until all of the suds were free and gone. She left the bathroom as I dried myself and dressed in a spare pair of pants she must have placed on the counter earlier.

Then, when I was again decent, she dried my hair with the little shitty-grade hotel hair-dryer whose base was secured into the wall by no less than ten screws to prevent theft. She brushed it out using only her fingers, and I felt very much like I was six once more, and my mother was doting on me as she so often used to.

She ushered me into bed, despite it hardly being sunset.

'She's been very good to you,' Chaos reminded. 'Little distractions are good; I think you might have gone into a slight state of shock. Thank her for helping, would you?'

"Thank you," I whispered.

She shrugged, letting me know she thought it to be no big deal at all. "It's what friends do, right?"

I blinked at her slowly, contemplating.

"I just thought of what I would want to do if something shitty happened to me. I like to take baths because they relax the body, and I like to have my hair played at because it's human contact that doesn't bother me."

"...You remember?"

"No. That's what I've decided. Grandma – my adoptive one, at Junon – likes to play with my hair. I decided I like it, all on my own. I don't know if it used to be true, but it is now."

"You're filling in the blanks by your own, new found standards."

"Just like how you're filling in the holes in your heart by coming to terms with what happened."

She'd forgotten everything about herself, about her friends, and about me, but still found it within herself to care.

I wouldn't realize it until later, but at that moment, Yuffie Kisaragi was the only thing on the planet that could make me feel again.


	9. Why she's glad I'm by her side

All Places In-Between

By Mihoyonagi

Chapter Nine: Why she's glad I'm by her side

"I am Yuffie, of the forest; a wandering traveler, proud and free-"

Instead of supper, we ate breakfast with Cid and Shera. Shera and Yuffie chit-chatted a bit, while Cid attempted to talk-shop with me. I remain blissfully ignorant on the makings and workings of all things mechanical, despite Cid's insistence I further my education. I knew of guns, what with owning and operating one as my main means of defense, but other than that I wasn't interested.

"I am Yuffie, of the forest; no earthly chains can tie down me-"

No one, neither Cid nor Yuffie, mentioned anything about why we were attending breakfast, or what had transpired the night before. Once I began to think on it, I had noticed Cid's strange remark the day before, while I was leaving his place. He'd known of Hojo's arrival, I'm sure.

"I am Yuffie, of the river; a fantastic adventurer, brave and bright-"

We'd hitched a ride from Cid across the ocean – a smaller trip that I'd remembered – and were on our way to Wutai. Yuffie mentioned that, since it was apparently the place she was from, she was quite intrigued to see it. The canyons and plains we crossed stretched for miles.

"I am Yuffie, of the river; from the waves I shall take flight-"

There were a few things in the last few days that had sparked little triggers for her memory. During a random conversation, she mentioned that she liked tofu, but only in egg flower soup. It took her a moment to realize why, and when she did, her face beamed like she'd won some fantastic prize.

"I am Yuffie, of the heavens; a friend of Gaia, kind and true-"

"Must you sing?" I rubbed my temple in small circles. I wasn't the type to ruin someone's fun, but Yuffie could hardly carry a tune.

She made a squished face in response. "You don't have to be a jerk about it."

Much of her attitude remained intact, despite her remembering it or not.

"I wasn't being a jerk. I was asking a legitimate question. Must you sing?"

"No, mister grump-pants, I mustn't. But I want to, so you can suck it."

And that was the playful nature of our relationship. I'd say something, Yuffie would call me a name and tease me, and then she'd do something else that I'd eventually have to comment upon as well. I assumed she thought it was a game, and I wasn't one to fault her- if she was having fun pushing a few of my buttons, I'd deal with it.

Patience is one of my stronger suits.

I waited in a coffin for thirty years.

I could endure a few weeks of constant teasing and sarcastic insults.

Yuffie was quite impressed with Wutai, which seemed to be a good thing. I took her up to the DaCho and the faces carved in the mountains.

We stood on the outstretched fingers of one of the gods, looking up at the face of another.

"I was tied up there?"

"Yes."

"Weird. It just doesn't seem familiar."

I took her to the cave of Leviathan, and tired to spark her memory about the water god, and why the people of Wutai loved him so, but she spaced out while watching the flames of the cave, and shrugged it all off at the end. "If it meant something to me, I'm sure it'll come back."

I wasn't sure if the Wutain religion actually had meant anything to her in the first place, so I didn't press. We walked back down the mountainside and into town. We tried her hideout, too, but the door was locked.

"Godo most likely has a way in."

"That's my dad, right?"

"Correct."

"And he and I don't get along very well?"

"From what I understand. It mostly stems from difference of opinion."

"Care to elaborate, or am I just supposed to figure it out?"

"Apologies. It's still strange to tell you things I'm not completely sure of myself."

"It's stranger having to hear about things I should know from someone who doesn't."

"After the Wutai war, and after your mother died, Godo tried to open the town up to more tourists, hoping to gain capital in that manner. ShinRa approved, and kept Godo on as a leader of sorts, even though the corporation still has their fingers dipped in certain aspects of the place."

"Yeah?"

"Yes. I know, for a fact, that there are several brothels where all employees are paid by ShinRa. For a while, they were contemplating building a reactor, and even though ShinRa had won the war, there was much civil unrest. They'd already fought one war, but the citizens were still willing to fight again for their sacred mountain. Godo, by convincing ShinRa to advertize Wutai as an exotic tourist attraction, saved the mountains."

"And I was against that?"

"From what I understand, you didn't approve of the idea of Godo, of Wutai for that matter, bending over backwards for the ShinRa. That's why you became a thief- to steal materia to sell, in hopes of making enough money to pay ShinRa to get the hell out of Wutai, and to restore a little faith back into the people."

"Wow. I'm crazy, huh?"

"Outspoken, loud, stubborn, and opinionated, but not crazy, no."

"Gee, thanks. That makes me feel so much better."

"You're welcome." Ah, see? I could push her buttons, too.

Godo was in the gardens when we approached, his face both joyous and worried. Even though he and Yuffie never got along well, he still loved his daughter.

It was awkward when we all come together in front of the gates.

Yuffie forced a smile, and shrugged. "So, you're my dad, huh?"

Godo sighed, obviously coming to terms with the fact that Yuffie had actually lost her memories. Perhaps, all of this time, he was hoping for some elaborate practical joke. Knowing what a trickster Yuffie could be, it wouldn't surprise me if she often toyed with her father when they lived together.

"Yes, Yuffie, I am your father. Would you two care to come inside and have some tea?"

Yuffie made a face. "I don't like tea."

Godo, startled, looked at Yuffie as though she'd slapped him. "No," he said quietly, "I suppose you don't, do you?"

I hadn't known she disliked tea. She drank it with her adoptive grandparents in Junon, but, if I were to actually think on it, she mostly took small sips. I couldn't recall a time when her cup had been refilled while Cloud told our stories.

We sat and drank our tea – though Yuffie opted for milk, which Godo offered when we sat down, most likely knowing she liked it better – and Yuffie and I explained what had been happening since she'd washed up on the shores of Junon a few weeks prior.

"I'll have to send your adoptive grandparents something nice, as a thank you for taking care of you."

Yuffie took a drink from her glass. "They'll thank you for it, and just send it right back. They're too independent. Plus, I think they had fun with me around. I know I did. There aren't many younger people in the lower Junon township."

Godo eyed her, carefully, trying to gauge the truth in her statement. The look on his face conveyed his inner turmoil, which I could understand; small things, little quirks or twitches, indicated she was Yuffie, but her lack of understanding and memories made one uneasy. It was a strange concept, and Godo wasn't comfortable with accepting that his daughter couldn't remember him, even if they had argued most of the time.

In fact, as the conversation began to careen out of control, I became positive that Yuffie and Godo _constantly_ argued.

"Still, I should show them my gratitude."

"Don't. It's weird. 'Hey, thanks for taking care of my kid while she couldn't figure out who she was.' What are you going to send them? Floral soap and fancy cheeses?"

"It's not the gift. It's the fact that I am thankful that they took care of you when they didn't have to-"

"Bullshit. They took care of me because I needed help, and they aren't scumbags."

"That's my point. They didn't have to take care of you. There are many who would have left you on the shore, to die."

Yuffie looked at me, her eyebrows knit together. "You're sure this guy is my father?"

I opened my mouth to request a little more respect from her than what she was showing, but Godo, red in the face, raised his voice before I had the chance to even open my mouth.

"You are in my house, young lady, and remember me or not I am still your father and you will show me the respect I deserve."

"I'll show you some respect when you listen to someone other than yourself. I'm telling that you that grandma and grandpa don't want your stuff. Send them a letter saying thanks or something, but don't actually send them anything. I know these people. I know how they think, and they will be more offended that you thanked them by sending gifts than just saying thank you."

She stood up and dusted off her pants, making a sour face as she did so.

"If Vincent says you're my father, I don't really have any choice but to believe you. But I'm glad I was told we don't get along before I met you. You're an asshole."

As Yuffie left the room, Godo looked like he was ready to explode.

Yeah, I was left sitting there, unable to really say much, feeling more awkward than I could ever remember. I stood, bade Godo a respectful farewell, and got the hell out.

Chaos found the whole ordeal quite funny. 'Ah, she has such a fiery spark, doesn't she?'

_'I suppose,'_ I thought back, still feeling uncomfortable.

'Loosen up, Valentine. Learn to laugh a little.'

_'Watching Yuffie fight with her father wasn't entertaining for me.'_

'Well, of course it wasn't. But now that you're away from the situation, you can admire how comical it might be from an outside standpoint.'

_'If you say so.'_ I just wanted him to shut up. I needed to find Yuffie before it got dark.

She wasn't at the tavern, which I was thankful for, but she hadn't checked into the inn, which made me a little nervous. I knew she wouldn't leave the city without me, but not knowing where she was didn't exactly calm my nerves.

I eventually found her on the fingers of Da Cho, overlooking the city, as the sun was setting. The sky was painted brilliant shades of orange and yellow, making the mountains and sea look as though they were aflame.

"You made quite a chocobos ass of yourself, Yuffie."

She shrugged, not caring for my opinion. "I don't like him. He doesn't listen. It's no wonder I didn't stick around."

I sat next to her, swinging my legs over the cliff. For some reason, heights had never bothered me.

"You going to tell me off, too?"

I sighed,itching my scalp. "No. I'm just letting you know you didn't make a good impression. But, to be fair, I would have been worried if the two of you had gotten along."

She chuckled at this, though only a little. I watched out of the corner or my eye as she fiddled with something in her lap.

"What did you take?" I accused, gently.

"It's mine."

"Oh?"

"It has my name on it." She held it up to show me, a fine little jade comb with flowers carved into the sides. Sure enough, her name was engraved on the front of it.

Dejectedly, she sighed. "I thought I'd swipe it, because Godo was such a jerk. I didn't even notice my name was on it until I sat up here and actually looked at it."

Quiet stretched between us for a little while, as if she was trying to figure out what words would convey her feelings correctly. I knew, before she spoke, that she was crying, despite the fact that she didn't hiccup or sob. Tears streaked down her face, but her voice didn't hitch when she spoke again.

"It took me a few minutes, but when I concentrated hard enough on it I remembered. My mom gave it to me. It was the last birthday present she gave me before she died."

I'm not good at offering others comfort. I'm the type of person who deals with problems alone. Because of such, I'm often of the opinion that others should do the same.

There are, however, certain circumstances where there is just no holding in what is hurting, no holding back the tears and sorrow, or sometimes even anger, that threatens to tear us apart if we don't speak of it aloud. I'm not sure why, but stating your problem out loud, out in the open, makes you feel better, even if you don't have someone to talk to.

I reached over and patted Yuffies thigh, then gave her knee a little, reassuring squeeze. "I can't tell you anything that would make you feel better, Yuffie. I'm sorry for that. But, for whatever it's worth, I'm here for you if you need me."

She didn't say anything in return. Instead she let her tears fall and make little wet patches on her pants. It was dark out before she spoke again. "I don't want to sleep in the town. Can we set up camp in the forest?"

"Of course." It would be silly to deny her such a silly indulgence. Sure, it was harder to pitch a tent in the dark, but I could see far better than any normal human could and it wouldn't pose that much of a problem.

We meandered down the mountain side and set up out camp far outside of town. Yuffie complained a few times, telling me she was feeling useless because she couldn't see well and wasn't able to help me, but my constant reassurance eventually shut her up.

She curled up in bed, thanking me but not saying much else.

"If I had my flashlight on, would it bother you?"

"No, do whatever you want."

I fished my light out of my pack and set to reading the book I'd purchased back in Rocket Town. I knew I could most likely read the book without the light, but it would give me one hell of a headache.

'You do know it's been well over a few hours, and she still hasn't fallen asleep.'

I took a moment and focused my senses on Yuffie. Her breath was uneven, though quiet, and it was a shame I hadn't realized how tense she was bafore.

_'Thank you for telling me.'_ It was strange to thank Chaos for something, or at least it was strange to thank him without being completely sarcastic.

'You were a little too into your book, that's all. Make sure she's alright.'

I clicked my light off, set my book atop my bag, and rolled over. "Are you not feeling well, Yuffie?"

At first she didn't reply. For a little while I thought she might be feigning sleep. Then, she sighed heavily. "I'm okay. I'm just... I don't know, I feel really stressed out."

"Your memories?"

"I keep getting little bits and pieces here and there. There's something about this city that's making me remember, but nothing's whole. It's weird- like I'll remember a meal I had at the pub once, but I can't recall what the interior of the place looks like. Or I can remember what type of flower will give you a rash if it touches you, but only what the flower looks like and not the name."

"Well, at least you have that."

"No, that's not the point. Stuff like that is alright, it's fine; they're memories, sure, yet they're useless. But..."

"Yuffie?"

I heard her begin to cry, the soft hiccuping sigh that escaped her. "I'm remembering things about my mom and my real grandma, and it's... I don't know how to handle it."

Before I could react, Yuffie had pressed herself up beside me, hiding her face against my chest. "It's like I'm two people trapped in one body. I think I'm supposed to be one way, and then I find out I'm meant to be the other."

What could I do but hold her? There was no other type of solace I could offer her- no, she was too far gone for reassuring words and verbal comfort. I wrapped my arms around her, and I had a inkling to believe that I was feeling how she must have felt when she'd come to my rescue after my encounter with Hojo and the demons of my past hardly a week before.

She began to babble, and I merely let her. I ran my good hand through her hair, making noises of affirmation when she'd come to a spot in her mostly incoherent prattling that apparently needed my opinion.

"And when I turned six half the town showed up for my birthday party, and three days later my mom died and we cremated her, but I can't remember where we spread her ashes, I just remember that's when dad started becoming such a hard ass, and from then on Staniv and Chekhov, and the other two from the pagoda whose names I don't remember, began to teach me to fight because I asked them to, and because I was convinced it would make dad not be such an asshole any more if he could be proud of me, but when that didn't work I ran away and-"

There were holes in her heart, in her memories, so many holes, and only she alone could fill, could fix, any of them. My heart truly melted that night – to see a young woman, so strong and capable and yet so helpless when it came to matters of her own memories.

My emotions were echoed by the demons inside me, which, at first, came as a great surprise. None of them, not even Chaos, offered up words of advice or even of observation. They didn't need to speak- I could feel the strain that came from watching and being useless.

"I'm glad you're here, Vincent," she finally managed to sniffle out.


	10. Why we were a family

All Places In-Between

By Mihoyonagi

Chapter Ten: Why we were a family

The morning sun warmed our tent, but not enough to stave off cold completely. Wrapped in blankets, and then in my arms, Yuffie remained still. She'd cried herself to sleep the night before, whimpering about holes in her memories and pieces she wished hadn't been filled. Though now she remained still, I knew she was awake.

I ran my fingers through her hair. "Will you give Godo another chance?"

"Shh. I'm sleeping."

I laughed. I could already tell it would end up a good day. I don't know why my mood was so bright. Perhaps it was the fact that I was needed by someone. Despite the fact that I liked my space, every great once in a while it's nice to know someone depends on your for one thing or another. Or, maybe it was that I finally had company.

Sure, Cloud and the others had been my companions in battle, but few of them were quick to grow on me. Aerith and Red had been those I'd spoken to the most, as both of them could easily carry their weight in an intelligent conversation, but being with Yuffie somehow felt...

Liberating.

She was a free spirit. I could scour the entire face of Gaia over and again and not find another quite like her.

"You're a terrible liar, do you know that?"

She snorted, then buried her face further against my chest. Her breath warmed the skin under my clothes. "I don't want to get up."

"I didn't ask you to get up. I am merely asking if you wold give Godo another chance."

"... And if I say no?"

"I'm not going to push you to do anything you're not comfortable with. You should know that by now. But, as hard as this is for you, it's just as hard for Godo. I can only offer this advice; I think it might be a good idea to see him at least one more time before we leave. It's no secret that you and your father never got along well, but you shouldn't leave, or leave him, angry."

Yuffie smashed her face even further into my chest. "Hm hnt hmmuh."

"Can't hear you."

She pulled her face away. "I don't wanna."

"And no one is forcing you. I merely think it's a good idea."

She went quite. Then, huffing a sigh against me, she relaxed. "Fine. But only because you know how to offer advice and make me feel like shit at the same time."

"I'm not trying to guilt you into anything." I sounded a little more hurt than I had intended.

"I know. You're too nice of a guy for that."

She sat up, stretching, and, without her there to warm me, I grew a little cold. It had been a long time since I'd let anyone close, both physically and emotionally, and it was pleasant to find that such close contact didn't bother me as I thought it might.

But, perhaps that was more due to the fact that a few walls of ice had been melted. I'd dealt with part of my past I'd tried to keep locked away, and Yuffie was the one to console me. I could honestly say she was the closest thing to a friend I'd gained since before I was changed.

I wasn't exactly a lonely person, but I was more the type that kept to myself. My personality wasn't a friend attractant, but I made due. Growing up, I had a few close friends – quality over quantity – but... It had been longer than a few years since I'd last spoken to them. In fact, it had been when I finally signed on with the Turks since I had seen any of them at all.

Cloud and the others were friends, but of a different brand. They were the type of people to help you out in a bind, to guard your back when the outcome was grim, but I never felt as though any of them were the type I'd invite over for afternoon tea. They were battle-worn comrades, bonds formed because we all shared a similar goal. We got together once or twice a year to drink and eat, and the rest of the year we kept to ourselves. We had risked our lives to save the world; bonds like that aren't forgotten, and never overlooked.

But, as far as it went, once Sephiroth had been defeated, none of us really had anything in common.

We packed up camp, Yuffie humming a strange, happy little tune as she rolled up our blankets and folded the tent. Though I knew she wasn't exactly pleased over the prospect of spending more time with Godo, she seemed happy enough so I left words for another time and simply left her to her thoughts.

When we had packed and made our way back into town, Yuffie had stopped humming. Her eyes remained bright, however, so I knew she wasn't completely displeased.

I pondered what had lifted her mood; she had been such a mess the night before.

Godo seemed rather surprised to see us. Yuffie marched right up to him, puffed out her chest, and began. "I know this is hard for you, but it's ten times harder for me, so no more yelling at me. I'll make you a deal- I'll be nice to you if you're nice to me."

He looked a little shocked. Godo blinked a few times, surprise written clearly across his face, then began to laugh. "I seldom make promises, Yuffie."

"And I can be quite the bitch. Just ask Vincent."

Godo glared at me, as if daring me to call his daughter such a terse name. I held my hands up in surrender, shrugging. "Don't drag me into this, Yuffie."

And that's how it went.

We ate what Yuffie described as funny little sandwiches made out of funny little fruits, with funny tasting juice and – yes, that's right – funny flowers decorating the table.

"Those are tsutsuji - Wutaian azaleas – and they only grow that color naturally here in Wutai."

I wasn't previously aware Yuffie had an interest in gardening. Then again, perhaps she hadn't, and it was a new concept she had decided sounded interesting. Godo gave us a tour of the garden.

Not a plant person myself, I politely excused myself from inevitable boredom I knew was looming and let Godo have time with his daughter.

For no particular reason I one could find rational behind, I decided to make my way through the forest and toward the sea. It had been ages since I'd last spent time in Wutai – not merely stopped by for a day or two while journeying with Cloud and the others – and memories from my youth poured back into me. The town had changed so much since I'd last been a resident.

True, I didn't often offer up pieces of my past willingly. I never felt it was something to be ashamed of – at least not my early years, though I'm hard pressed to talk about my time in the Turks, or with Lucretia – it was just something I never volunteered.

I almost drowned, once. When I was four, I was playing too close to the water and a great wave swept me away from the shore and into the open sea. Truth be told, I don't remember much about the entire incident other than waking up with my mother screaming and my savior above me, my clothing soaked and sand in my hair. I cried mostly because I hadn't completely understood what had happened.

That was when my mother took to coddling me. Who was I to blame her? She'd almost lost her only son. To be fair, I had been scared for years afterward of the open sea, but I became spoiled in my father's absence. He'd left mother and I home so that he could find a job to keep us housed and fed. ShinRa ran him ragged and dry, and for the greater part of my youth I resented him, thinking that he was the selfish one, having left mother and I for what I thought at the time was an amazing, exotic, industrial city in the making. Shinra had been founded only years before my birth, but it had already grown into what could only be described as a corporate empire.

Young and naive, I wanted to work for them when I grew older. When I told mother this, she would pat my head and laugh, then tell me that she would be sad were I to leave her alone. So, I vowed to take her with me, give her an elaborate home in the budding city of Midgar, with running water in the house, indoor plumbing, and electricity.

She died when I was eleven.

That was the last time I'd allowed myself to cry (ignoring of course my outburst caused by Hojo a few days before). Father had come home for her funeral, the first time I'd seen him in nearly three years.

Angry and resentful, I blamed him for her death. I'd shouted at him the night after we buried her in the garden, blaming his prolonged absence and neglect for her broken heart and spirit. She loved me as her child, but she was never as happy as when father had been around and we'd all been a family.

He took me to Midgar, where we shared a stuffy little apartment on the plate until I turned 17. Then, without telling him, I applied for a position within the Turks and went into training.

It was three years after I'd been hired when I found out he had pulled the strings to get me hired.

Yes, I had enough combat skill to be a prospective candidate in the first place, but it was his position among the ranks that had cemented my employment in the first place.

I didn't realize until much later in life, but he never forgave himself for always being gone. After mother passed, he looked resigned in most everything he did, but when he would look at me he would smile, despite the fact that I never thought much of him.

I suppose that's why he opted to ask ShinRa for me to be positioned in Nibelheim, so that, for the first time in our lives, we might have the chance to grow close.

It ended in chaos. Quite literally; it ended with Chaos being forced into my blood, into my body, as though I was some kind of fleshy prison.

Lucretia blamed herself when father had died while they were working together. That's why, even though she came to me for solace, she would never allow herself to leave Hojo and be with me.

The sea didn't bother me any longer.

I stared out at the stretched expanse of ocean, wondering if my house, after over thirty years of neglect, it still stood. Half a mile down the shore I walked, looking only to my feet. It had been decades since I last walked on the worn path that was etched in the sand between where the shore started and the forest ended. Someone had walked by here recently- there was grass broken and bent from smaller footsteps. Perhaps only a half a day old, at the most.

I didn't expect it to be standing.

It was, though the rice-paper doors had long since been blown over and sand and plants alike had invaded the small little house. It stood there for a moment, wishing I knew what to think.

My head was mostly empty.

There were many memories of this house, but they all seemed so fleeting and far away. I took a deep breath and began, once more, toward the house.

Nothing was left inside, save a few broken shelves. Father and I had taken everything when we'd left, so it was no surprise. Wutai wasn't exactly a bustling town, and it didn't surprise me in the least to think that most would have forgotten about the old cottage by the sea. After all, mother and I had mostly kept to ourselves. We grew most of our food, and only went into town if we had no other option. Despite father working to support us, money had been tight.

I couldn't bring myself to actually enter the house, though the front entry way had all but been destroyed. I went, instead, to the garden on the side of the house.

Fresh flowers had been lain on the grave of my mother. I froze, feeling both surprised and guilty.

After father and I had moved, we never looked back. I missed mother with all of my heart, true, but I knew we hardly had the money to feed ourselves, let alone take trips back to the place where we used to love. I'd resigned myself into thinking that once we were in Midgar, I wasn't who I used to be, who mother had taught me and raised me to be. I had to learn, quite quickly, that life, ever the fickle mistress, was ten times the bitch I first thought her to be.

I knelt down and touched the flowers, then set myself to picking some of the weeds that had grown along my mother's headstone.

"I'm sorry I've been away so long, mother." I wasn't really speaking to her- I wasn't the type to believe in an afterlife – but I found I couldn't help myself.

'I'm sure she's glad to see you.'

I paused, surprised. It wasn't Chaos who had spoken. It was Death Gigas. And he sounded sincere.

"Father and I moved away, and so much has happened-" it all came out in a rush, like I had a bad case of verbal diarrhea and couldn't stop myself. I felt awful. "I fell in and out of love, and, mother, I'm sorry but I'm a bit of a monster now."

'Don't say that,' Death Gigas chided, softly. 'She's your mother. She loves you no matter what you are.'

"I... I don't understand. Why are you talking to me like this?"

There was a quiet between us. It was true that Death Gigas and I were known to converse every great once in a while, but I was more used to his monosyllabic responses, and only in the heat of battle when he barked something along the lines of 'duck' or 'on your left.'

'Demons have mothers, too.'

And suddenly I felt like an even worse. I knew nothing – nothing at all – about the demons inside of me.

"Tell me about her?"

Another pause.

'No. You ask because you are guilty, not because you are curious. When you ask because you are curious, I will tell you.'

He pushed himself into dormancy, so far back into my subconsciousness it was as though he'd left me completely.

Who would have figured that- a demon with a soft spot for his mother.

'You have much to learn about us,' Chaos' voice echoed. 'You know our names, but little else. So selfish.'

I sighed and continued to pull the weeds from around my mother's grave. Satisfied, I stood and looked down at the pile of earth that covered my mother's coffin.

"I'm sorry," I said for no reason in particular.

I turned and made my way back into town. My mind wandered so far that I didn't realize I'd made it back to town until I was opening the gated door to Godo's garden and removing my shoes before I stepped into the house.

They were watching TV, some silly game show where the contestants had to cross a drawbridge while having rubber balls shot at them from the opposing team.

Yuffie turned to me when I walked in, smiling. "Hey, dad- Vincent's back. Can you get some more of those tea cakes?"

Godo left, watching the TV until he was out of the door, laughing to himself all the way down the hallway.

"Have fun?" Her smile was contagious, even though I was in a somewhat somber mood.

"I went to visit my mother, actually."

"Did you see the flowers I left?"

I blinked. "_You_ left them?"

She shrugged. "I did a lot of exploring on my own yesterday, after dad and I had fought. I figured it was your mom since the name on the gravestone was Valentine. I can't imagine there are many others by that name around here- it's not really fitting for a Wutain."

I looked at her for a moment, reveling in how smart she could be at times without even trying. "Thank you."

She shrugged again. "I don't remember where we laid my mom to rest, so some of those flowers were for her, too."

"I'm sure my mother wouldn't be opposed to sharing."

"Oh, look!" Yuffie stood, her change in conversational subject a sign of how short her attention span could stretch every once in a while. She spun around a few times, showing off her apparently new kimono-type dress. It stopped halfway to her knees, her legs covered by black tights. The forest green fabric of the garb complimented her skin and hair. The long sleeves swung around, even after she'd stopped spinning.

"I found it in my closet. Dad said it used to be mom's, but I can have it now that I'm grown up. How do I look?"

I smiled up at her, genuinely. "Absolutely beautiful."

I couldn't tell if she blushed. A part of me wished my words had meant something to her. I didn't have time to find out, however, because Godo walked in with a tray of tea cakes and a new pot of tea.

"Where did you run off to, today?" Godo asked, through a mouthful of cake.

"Don't talk with your mouth full," Yuffie scolded.

He swallowed, but didn't offer up the question again.

I met his eyes. "I left you to your privacy. You didn't need me as the third wheel, so I went off to... visit my own family, I suppose."

"You do look Wutain," Godo nodded sagely, as if he'd known all along.

"My mother was, yes."

"You didn't need to leave your family so soon. Yuffie and I fine for now. You could go back and-"

"I appreciate the offer, Godo, but my family is long dead. I wasn't visiting as so much as paying my respects. I haven't been back to Wutai for... for a long time."

Yuffie smiled. "We've got a new family, you and I. Despite it being a little dysfunctional."

She was right. It was messed up, but she was dear to me in ways our other friends were not. I liked the idea of a family, even if it was only the two of us. "I suppose you're right."

She winked at me. "About what? Being a family, or being dysfunctional?"

Godo laughed. "A family where everyone gets along- now that is a strange thought."


	11. Why Death Gigas came to the rescue

All Places In-Between

By Mihoyonagi

Chapter Eleven: Why Death Gigas came to the rescue

"Where do you plan on going to next?" Godo asked over coffee the next morning.

I shrugged. "Wherever Yuffie wants to go."

"Bone Village."

"Bone Village?"

"Is there a freakin' echo in here, Valentine? Apparently I wanted to go there for a while; there're a whole bunch of clippings taped to the walls of my room about some archeological dig you can do on your own, provided you have a little gil on hand."

"I suppose you'll be asking me for a little donation next, yes?" Godo looked to his daughter, as if daring her to ask for money.

Yuffie smiled, slyly. "Well, you've been skipping out on my allowance for how many years now?"

Godo rolled his eyes. "I'll pay for the boat ride you'll need to get up there, but you can pay to dig in the dirt yourself."

Her smiles were full of cheekiness as of late, weren't they?

It took two days before we set shore on the Northern Continent. Yuffie, more sea sick than I could recall, took half a day to simply lie on the sand and regain her composure. It was warm enough she could make due with a t-shirt and jeans, but the bitter wind that descended from the mountains was cold enough to make her shiver every great once in a while.

Once she was finished, as she so delicately put it, 'puking up everything she'd eaten, ever,' we wandered up to Bone Village.

"Might I ask for a more reasonable explanation as to why you decided this to be our next destination?" She stumbled a bit, and I caught her by the elbow.

She shook me loose and giggled. "Treasure hunting. Duh."

Sneaky little-

"Oh, don't look so surprised. I had a bunch of my memories come back the other night, and... and the part about all the clippings in my room about Bone Village was true. We never really stayed here for long when we were with Cloud, did we?"

I paused, suddenly a little saddened. "No. We didn't have time. Aerith was missing, and Cloud knew she'd come through here, so none of us gave it a second thought."

She quieted. Then, in a whisper, "She used to cook really good soup. And she let me play with her hair at night, when it was all of us girls in a tent together."

An awkward silence invaded the space between us.

"I'm sorry that so many of the memories returning to you are sad ones."

She smiled and shrugged, brushing it off. "I've had good ones return, too."

"Oh?"

"But I'm not sharing some of them with you," she skipped ahead, her voice sing-song.

I rolled my eyes and followed her.

The next two days were the most serious and determined I'd ever seen Yuffie. I had no previous knowledge that she was so into archeology, and it came as a nice surprise that she found something that apparently pleased her before she lost her memories and after.

She, of course, was out the majority of her saved gil. I had to put my foot down when she asked to borrow money from me, however.

"Some things are better left in the past, Yuffie."

"You're like a cock-block, but for fun."

I balked. "Watch your mouth, young lady."

She sneered, angry she didn't get her way, and then stalked off to go dig in her dirt piles some more.

It took her an entire day to apologize. And even then it wasn't much of an apology.

"Sorry."

"You don't need to apologize. I know this is fun for you, but if you want to spend your own money, that's your choice. I'll gladly keep mine so we can pay for another boat ride, or supplies when we decide to leave."

She was sad when she had to leave, as was the archeological society, but I was happy she'd made new friends. They all exchanged phone numbers, with Yuffie promising to come back sometime.

It started to rain as we made our way through the Ancient Forest.

"I'm proud of you."

She looked up at me as though I sprouted two heads.

"You were surrounded by all that loot, and you didn't snatch up any of it."

"No, but they gave me all the crap that wasn't of use to them." As she was turning around to pull some things from her backpack, a crash of thunder echoed above us as the light drizzle turned into a heavy downpour.

"Well, this is great."

I smiled. She looked like a little drowned rat. I took of my cloak and draped it around her.

At first, stubbornly independent as she was, she refused. It was only after I insisted that I wouldn't take care of her if she caught a cold did she stop grumbling and wrapped the cloak around her little frame.

"Can't we just set up camp?" She shouted through the thunder.

"No," I replied back, solemnly, a little sick of the rain and wet myself. "We'd only get the tent and our supplies wet. We're not too far from shelter- just keep going."

I wasn't sure if I was hearing things through the rain, or if Yuffie was growling in protest, but either way I ignored it. She knew as well as I did that it wasn't the best of ideas to set up camp in the middle of a downpour, with both of us being soaked to the bone as it was.

She changed her tune soon after when we wandered upon the eerie lights of the trees that surrounded the Forgotten Capital.

"What is this place?" He mouth hung open as she marveled at our surroundings.

"The City of the Ancients. Our friend, Aerith, was the last of Ancients, of the Cetra, and she gave her life to help save everyone. We laid her body to rest here. I... I wanted to pay my respects."

Bending low, Yuffie pulled up a few flowers that lined our path. She smiled up at me, sadly. "I don't remember this place."

"It's another sad place. Perhaps it's best if you didn't for now."

We walked the stone paths that lined the city, slowly and without speaking. There was no headstone that marked Aerith's grave; just the still pool of water I remember all of us standing around it with heavy hearts.

That was the first time I had been there for Yuffie. When Aerith had... when it happened, Yuffie had gone through a state of shock. Her hands had started to shake, and she was crying uncontrollably, and I had been the closest warm body to her. She'd turn to me, sobbing and trembling, and sought my arms.

I hate to say it, but I was more angry than upset. I took Yuffie by the shoulders, sat her down, and... turned my back on her. I helped fight the Jenova creature that Sephiroth had sent after us, in the wake of our grief. It had taken all of my self control not to unleash one of my demons.

Once the hellish creature had been destroyed, I made my way back to Yuffie's side. I held out a hand, helped her up, dusted her off, and patted her shoulder.

There was nothing else I could do, could say, for her. I refused to lie and tell her that everything would be alright. It wasn't alright, and it wasn't going to _be_ alright; we'd lost one of our own, and the future was looking grim at best.

And, call me a little selfish, but I didn't want her to remember that part of me. Not yet. Not after we'd grown so close.

Yuffie laid the flowers next to the still pool of water in front of us. Then, without me having to usher her along, she turned and followed me even further into the Ancient City.

We ended up in the same house we had when we'd first journeyed though, while in Cloud's company. Though the city had been abandoned for years, the houses stood and had stayed kept as though no one had left.

"Ahhh, shit-" Yuffie held up her bag and dumped out the contents. A puddle of water pooled around her belongings.

I scratched the back of my head. "Well, let's lay out your things on the extra bed. They'll dry by morning."

She made a face, expressing something between disgust and anger, and went about squeezing the excess water from her clothing. "The stuff I'm wearing is soaking wet. What am I supposed to wear to bed?"

I took my bag off my back, fearing for the worst. Half of my things were wet, too- as soon as we got to Icicle Inn, it was time to invest in waterproof bags. I found that two pairs of my pants and a spare shirt remained dry, though how I'll never know. After laying my wet things on the floor next to the spare bed, I tossed Yuffie my shirt and the extra pair of pants. "It's all I have, but it will keep you warm enough tonight."

"But what about you?"

"I don't get cold the same way you might. You need it more; you're skinny as a rail, and I don't want you getting sick. Take off your wet clothes."

Ever cheeky she was. Yuffie raised an eyebrow and smiled deviously. "That an order, captain?"

I rolled my eyes and turned around, wishing she wouldn't tease me like _that_. I heard the rustle of clothing and the wet sound of whatever she was wearing hit the floor, then be laid out on the bed.

"God, you're tall."

I turned around to watch as Yuffie rolled the pair of my pants she was wearing at least three times before I could even see her feet. My shirt could practically serve as a nightgown on her tiny frame.

I spun my finger in the air, motioning her to turn around. Wet pants were not on my list of favorite things to wear, but changing while Yuffie only had her back turned didn't exactly make the list, either. I wished there were a bathroom or a closet or... something. I could go outside... and then wind up in the same exact predicament, as it was still raining.

Changing as fast as humanly possibly while trying to extract my legs out of tight, wet pants, was the most frustrating thing I'd done in a very long time.

"You need some help?" Her button-pushing is endless.

"Shut up." It was the best retort I could man manage. Sarcasm wasn't a strength of mine, especially given how awkward the situation was.

She turned around as I tied a knot in the pull-string of the pants. "Shit, Vincent; you're sculpted out of fucking marble."

I felt my face heat.

Placing a hand against my abs, she pushed. "Jeeze, your stomach is made of steel, too."

"Can you not tease me, Yuffie?" I felt awkward. So. Damn. Awkward.

It had been the better part of thirty years since I was last in a relationship – if you can call my infatuation concerning Lucrecia such – and, well, to be honest, it was Yuffie- I couldn't tell if she was flirting, or just being silly.

"I'm not sleepy yet. Wanna play cards?"

I hoped it was humor.

'I sure don't,' Chaos giggled.

Three hours later, the rain had abated to hardly more than a drizzle.

"Hit me." Yuffie had a mean poker face.

I tossed her another card, and picked one for myself.

I hated poker. I was bad at card games- very bad. I had bad luck, and no patience when it came to weird things like poker and blackjack. The latter we'd tried first, and it frustrated me to no end.

The lantern next to my bed lit the room with a soft glow, and the sound of the rain hitting the roof was calming. We ate little for dinner- neither of us had been very hungry.

I laid down a pair of sevens.

She smirked, then placed down a royal flush.

"Are you cheating?"

Her smirk widened. "I just have a knack for this kind of thing. How do you think I managed to eat after I'd run away from home? It's a good thing we aren't playing strip poker. You'd be butt naked by now. In fact, that's a great idea."

"Yuffie, must you-"

"Hair wrap. Take it off."

"...What?"

"Hair wrap or your pants."

"Yuffie, I-"

And then she attacked me.

Chaos couldn't stop laughing.

I couldn't managed to function.

She'd practically jumped on me, and her little fingers went to work on the wrap around my hair and eyes. I tried to move, to get up, but I only managed to tangle our legs up.

Yuffie's laughter made me smile, despite everything that was going on. She laid atop me, her arms stretched up as she pulled the cloth from around my forehead. "Why must you always be such a little monkey?" I tried to chide her, but found I couldn't stay mad.

"There!" she announced, holding the wrap above her head like some kind of amazing prize. "Now I can see your face."

She paused a moment, and the world stood still as she looked into my eyes.

"You've got the prettiest color of eyes, Vincent. Why do you always have to hide your face from the world?"

The conversation took a turn for the more depressing.

"I'm ashamed of myself, Yuffie; of my past. Why would I want the world to see me?"

The look on her face broke my heart.

"You're ashamed of yourself? Vincent, you're the nicest, most patient and understanding person I've ever met." She blushed, and for the first time I knew what Yuffie Kisaragi looked like when she turned shy. "Yeah, you've done some shitty things in your past, but no one is perfect. You feel bad about what happened, and you've come to terms with letting it go, right? So, what do you have to be ashamed of?"

People have always said that love hurts, but it couldn't be farther from the truth. Love is the only thing in the world that can erase pain, that can ease the heart. It's not love that hurts; it's rejection, it's loneliness, it's losing the ones you love that hurts.

And, to be honest, I didn't want to hurt anymore.

So, barring my better judgment, and just about every moral code in my book, I leaned up and kissed Yuffie.

Now, it's not often I get to see a surprised Yuffie. In fact, it's quite less often I get to see a surprised Yuffie who is also too shocked to spout off something sarcastic and asinine.

I liked it.

Well, all of it, to be fair; the kiss, the Yuffie without a witty retort.

Maybe she was just what I needed.

As soon as she began to kiss me back, her initial shock having worn off, she became _exactly_ what I needed.

One must understand something about Yuffie; she doesn't half ass things. Sure, she might do a crappy job just to piss you off, but she went through the trouble of figuring out how, exactly, it would piss you off, she pulled out all the stops to make sure you blew your top.

So, when I say she kissed me back I mean she -really- kissed me back. Her little hands went to my hair and she raked her fingernails against my scalp. Trails of fire burned where she touched me and I couldn't help myself from running my good hand up and across her back. My other arm supported me in a half-sitting position, bent at the elbow and taking most of the weight from my upper body as I leaned against it.

She wrapped her fists around my shirt, twisted, pulled to the side, and without my even realizing what she'd done, I was staring down at her. Clever little thing, perhaps too much. It was one thing to kiss, but where she had me now, atop of her, looking down...

Shiva above, Ifrit below- was I really doing this?

Conscious thought flickered in and out of my brain when she attached my earlobe with her little nips and breathless gasps. I reciprocated, biting down on her neck and electing a surprised mewl from her. I gently kissed her skin where I'd bit down, then licked the same spot.

Was I really doing this?

She arched against me, her chest pressing up against mine, when I turned back to kiss her lips once more. Her breath was ragged, her eyes closed and fluttering.

Were we really doing this?

"Oh, Vincent..."

I stopped and pulled back, out of breath, heart hammering in my chest. The room was too tight- the world was too tight. I could hardly think, hardly breathe.

Yuffie stilled beneath me. When her eyes looked up at me, I felt like I'd done something awful. Such adoration in her face, and I deserved none of it...

"This... This is a little too much."

I stood and ran my good hand through my hair, sighing heavily. Leave it to me to ruin the mood, to ruin everything. I had a knack that for, didn't I?

She sat up, adoration replaced with annoyance. "Sorry." Her apology was curt, and I knew she didn't mean it.

"Don't."

"You don't like me like that, do you?"

"Yuffie, I-"

"I'm always the ass end of these situations, aren't I? If you didn't feel the same way, why did you lead me on?"

She stood, walked out of the front door, and left me to my own misery.

Fuck, I had been leading her on, hadn't I? Without even realizing it. All of it had been so small, I didn't realize it until now, until she pointed it out to me. Having Galian come to her rescue, do nothing but protect and help her; indulging her by visiting Wutai and her father of all people; that night, in Wutai, when I comforted her in her sorrows and the next morning when she curled up next to me, then, the same night, when I'd told her that she was beautiful; letting her lead me where she pleased, across the world, and into an archeological dig site just so she could have a little fun... All of the pep talks I'd given her, all of the smiles I'd flashed her way.

To me, I was simply along for the ride, helping a friend I felt who needed it. But to Yuffie...

As far as she knew, I'd given up my life to be with her.

Even though she'd mistakenly kissed me at the Gold Saucer, assuming we'd been together- how could she know we'd never been an item in the first place when she couldn't even remember my face in the first place? Had she taken my denying her the wrong way?

Had she assumed I was lying, just to keep her safe and happy?

'You're such a nut-job, Valentine. Go bring her back inside; she'll catch her death in that cold and rain.'

I didn't have it in me to tell Chaos where to shove it. I, instead, went to the door and followed Yuffie out into the cold, wet night.

And found no trace of her. She was a self-proclaimed ninja, but perhaps her claims had a little validity to them.

"Galian, I need to borrow some of your power. Is that alright?"

Apparently pleased he could be of use, and that I'd asked him outright, I felt power surge through me. I closed my eyes as Galian lent me his keen nose.

There, to the right. Up a... A tree? Another tree, and a third and fourth. I closed my eyes, letting Galian's abilities guide me. Up a hill, through some undergrowth. I stopped and opened my eyes only when my feet became wet.

In front of me, high up on the spines of a conch-shell house, Yuffie sat, her legs hanging off, her back toward me. I was silent for a moment in observation. When she moved her hands toward her face and wiped at her cheeks, I knew she wasn't wiping away the rain; she had been crying.

"Go away." She hadn't turned around.

"Come down and get inside; you're going to catch your death out here."

"Fuck you." Oh, edgy and original.

"Come down and talk to me."

"No. I wanna to brood right now."

"You can brood somewhere it's dry. Please come down."

"Vincent?" She turned around. "Was I always this dense, this dumb?" Her eyes were red, her cheeks and lips slightly puffy and pink.

"You're neither, Yuffie. I didn't mean to hurt you."

"Don't. Don't give me the 'it's not you, it's me' bullshit. It wasn't you."

I sighed, knowing this conversation was going nowhere for either of us. "I'm going to be blunt with you, Yuffie. Shit like this isn't easy for me. Do you have any idea how long it's been since I last even kissed a woman?"

"Blah blah blah 30 years, blah blah blah Lucretica, Blah blah blah Hojo, right?"

I bit my tongue to keep from saying something I would later regret.

"Look, I know you've got issues, Vincent. I've got them, too. Yeah, my problems aren't as big as yours, or nearly as brood-worthy, but this crap is still hard on me. Do you know how fucked up it is to not know what to feel when you're around someone you should remember? What did I think of you when I was someone else, when I was the someone that you and everyone else remember? I'm not that person any longer, and even when my memories flood back, it doesn't change how I've come to think now. I mean, I-"

She tumbled right off the spike and fell.

I don't know if she was simply overwhelmed by her emotions, or if she wasn't honestly paying attention, but the moment she began to fall is the moment I sprang into action. Even so, I knew that I was too far to be able to reach her before she hit the ground.

I, however, didn't have to.

'Let me save her. I know I can.'

Death Gigas didn't have to ask twice. I let his power flow into me, through me, and consume me. My world went dark.

XXXXXXX

Oh, she is such a silly girl. Indeed, such a silly little flower. She plummeted toward the cold, hard earth below her, and I watched with great dismay as, when she attempted to reach out and grab something to save herself, she instead missed completely and hit her head on the way down. I watched as she fell ever closer to the unforgiving ground, her body now limp due to her unconscious state.

Large feet usually make for clumsy feet, but not mine, oh no. Years of practice serve my agility well, and I managed to run underneath where the little flower was falling before she actually hit the earth. I caught her safely, her little limp body in my arms, and sighed with relief when I felt her heart beating. Somehwat bruised, somewhat battered, but still alive.

The rain had mostly stopped, for which I was most thankful. I despised getting wet; a body with such great a mass as mine simply takes eons to dry. The leaves of the ancient trees around us glistened with moisture, the entire forest quiet and smelling of ozone.

I took her back to the dwelling they had refuge in earlier, with a little help from Galian. He and I get along well enough, which pleases me just fine- I have no reason to quarrel with him. Since Vincent had closed his eyes and let Galian's keen nose guide him to the girl, I closed my eyes and accepted the assistance Galian offered for our return journey. Such was a perk of our unnatural relationship, all of us demons with our host and how we could each lend and take strength to and from one another.

I am of the opinion that while Hojo was a depraved sadist, he was also beyond brilliant. I hate him for imprisoning me, but in the long run I suppose that I shouldn't complain- there are far worse humans in the world than Vincent. Or, perhaps I just say so because I don't know many others.

Her clothes were hardly damp, which relieved me to a great extent. I gently wrapped her in her sleeping blankets, clothing and all.

I don't know much about Yuffie; she remains a mystery to me, an enigma, mostly because I'm unobservant. Not to say I'm oblivious; no, I'm intelligent- I just don't retain much interest in what Vincent does, or who he associates with. His friends are just that- his friends, not mine. I hardly think that half of them are even aware of my existence.

I cannot blame Vincent for his ways. Compared to the years I've been alive, he is still much a child. But, for what it is worth, he is decent. He is never cruel out of spite, always polite, ever fretting over what goes on around him; the man hardly has time for himself he worries of other so much. In a way the little flower was to blame- Yuffie seems to be able to make him remember that the world, with all of its people, also contains him. Since they began to travel with one another, she's opened his mind and occupied his heart, but not just with her wants and needs, but by showing him that he is also a human, and as such needs interaction and introspection.

Her little eyes fluttered and opened, her pupils taking a moment to focus on where she was and who – or, I suppose in my case one can ask 'what' – was in front of her.

I expected fear. Most people fear me, due to my size, my purple skin, and the fact that, well, I look as though I could devour them up in one bite and go about my monstrous ways. What I didn't expect was the curiosity that shone so brilliantly on her face.

She smiled at me.

I suppose it's important to mention that I'm shy. One might not presume as much, just based on physical appearance alone, but it actually took me nearly three months before I spoke to Vincent for the first time. Even thereafter, I hardly spoke a word to him- just the occasional one to two word sentences while in battle. 'Left' and 'duck right' hardly needed more words to be effective.

"So, which one are you?"

Now I understood why Vincent had become so enamored of her cheekiness. Her spirit was without boundaries, and she spoke what she felt from her heart without hesitation.

Good thing I was purple, else the flower would have witnessed the monster blush.

Instead of answering her question outright, I picked up her water canteen and sloshed it around as I held it in front of her, silently asking if she was thirsty.

"I could use a drink, thanks." She wiggled as to free her hands, but I held up my palm to indicated I wished her to stop. She did, obediently, and watched as I unscrewed the lid of her canteen and carefully held it up to her lips.

I think my delicacy surprised her. She drank, carefully, and thanked me again when she was satisfied.

"So, are you like Galian? Can you understand me, but just can't talk?"

Oh, curse her for being such a conversationalist.

"...I... I can speak."

Her face lit up and I swallowed hard. Yes, I was fearsome in battle. No, I was not used to the company of pretty little women.

"That's so awesome! What's your name? What kind of creature are you? What kind of powers do you have?"

It was strange, both in a good and bad way, to be asked such things- I'd never known anyone, human or otherwise, to ask questions that made me speak more of myself. "...They call me Death Gigas. I am a demon. I have many powers, but mostly rely on strength."

"Finally! A conversational partner who isn't a total stick in the mud!"

We kept talking – well, she kept talking, and I tried to keep the answers to her questions as short as I could manage – for quite some time. She was just as I suspected earlier; a free spirit, without hesitation in her feelings.

"You don't talk much. Am I annoying you?"

"No."

"Do you not like to talk?"

"I... I don't speak often. I have no friends."

She tilted her head to look up at me when I spoke. "Really? What about the other creatures you share with Vincent?"

"There is little need for us to speak to one another. They hold no interest to me."

"Well, what about me? Am I interesting?"

I fidgeted with my fingernails. "I suppose."

"You suppose? Is that a thinly veiled insult, or thinly veiled compliment?"

"Neither. Both."

She smiled at that, my idiotic attempt at humor, which, in turn, made the corners of my mouth turn up slightly.

"So, where do you come from, Gigas?"

She wished to know of my past? "I was born the son of a minor demon lord. My mother was very beautiful, even by the standards of humans. I inherited all of my father's physical genetics, and little of my mother's save her eye color. My father abandoned mother and I when I was small, still a child, and she died of a broken heart not long thereafter."

The concern on her face warmed me. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to dredge up bad memories. I do that a lot to Vincent. I'm pretty sure I piss him off."

"Yes, but he forgives you for it. It is just a part of who you are- your honesty."

"Were you on your own after your mom died?"

"For a little while, yes. I cannot recall how I ended up in the possession of humans, or how they managed to keep me in their control, but I do remember Vincent and his previous lover, that scientist woman. Vincent has no idea how cruel she could be."

"Really?" Her brow furrowed in disbelief.

"Hojo was the one who injected us all into Vincent after he toyed with his body, but it was that woman who figured out how to use us, how to inject us into hosts in the first place. Neither I nor Galian have anything pleasant to say about her."

"Ah. I see. Vincent only saw what he wanted to see."

"Correct. I would never say such a thing to Vincent, though. He's far too willbully stubborn to see her from any other light than complete perfection."

"Oh, I don't know- he's changed quite a bit since I first met him. Well, re-met him. That's weird to say." She rubbed her temples. "I hate being broken."

"You are far from broken, little flower." It felt nice, calling her by a little pet name.

"My mind is broken."

"Perhaps those of us who are broken are truly the only perfect beings."

She tilted her head at that, pondering. "I like you. You know when to say the right things, and you don't botch your speech. Say what you think- that's what I believe."

"Go to sleep, flower, and Vincent will be returned to you when you wake."

"You're going to watch over me?"

"Nothing shall harm you while I am here."

"I bet."

Oh, I _liked_ her.


	12. Why I  was hers

All Places In-Between

By Mihoyonagi

Chapter Twelve: Why I was hers

When I awoke, I was warm. My head throbbed as it so often did after I changed, but compared to previous transformations, it was mostly dull. Why had I transformed? What had happened the night before?

We'd been walking through the forest- it had been raining. We'd changed, and she'd teased me, then the card game and... Oh. The kiss. Then what? She'd left- she'd ran, because I'd said something stupid. I'd found her on the conch house, and she'd fallen-

Shit, she'd fallen! I sat up-

And was promptly bowled over by what is to be considered the most horrendous migraine in history. The entire world spun under me, and I was thankful that I had only sat up in bed. I fell backwards, somewhat winded and extremely dizzy, and threw my arm over my eyes to drown out the light that only served to worsen my pain.

"Here," Yuffie's voice called out. I heard the distinct sound of sloshing water, and I knew she held out my canteen. Holding up my hand, Yuffie handed it over, thankfully without the cap, and I greedily drank as though I'd die of thirst. She took the empty canister as I finished, and replaced it with a handful of dried fruit.

"You remembered?" I mumbled before I shoved a few pieces of leathery, over-sugared mango into my mouth.

"Yup. You need food and water after you transform, and you get a really bad headache that makes you pissy."

The corners of my mouth twitched and I found myself fighting off a smile. "That so?" I took a bite of what I assumed had once, long ago, been an apple.

"Yup." I heard a distinctive crunch, meaning she'd been hiding a bag of potato chips the entire while.

"Do I get one?"

"Do I have any choice?"

I whole-heatedly smiled this time. "You do, I suppose." Regardless, held out my hand patiently. She sighed, then deposited a few chips into my hand. Tossing them into my mouth, I crunched, pleased by the over-salty taste of the fried potato.

"Thank you, Yuffie."

"No, Vincent; thank you. Sorry I'm such a pain in your ass."

I took another bite of mango. "How about we compromise. You never assume that you know what I'm thinking, and instead ask me when you suspect something and listen to what I tell you, and in return I will forget how troublesome you are."

"Deal. First question."

"Shoot."

"We together now or something?"

I took yet another bite of fruit, mostly to busy myself. How was I supposed to answer something like that?

"I think it depends on you. Do you..."

"Totally think you're smokin' hot? Think you're sculpted out of marble and sent down from the gods simply to tease me? Think you're so full of patience for other people that you've completely used up any in regards to yourself? Think you're still a little hung up about your past? Why, yes. Yes I do."

Chaos laughed.

"Let's simply see where the wind takes us, Yuffie. How does that sound?"

"Good enough. But you're an idiot if you think I'm sharing any more of my chips." I heard the rustle of the bag and I was left to assume, based off the resounding crunching that went on for several minutes, that she'd consumed the rest of the chips in one large mouth full.

'Such a cheeky spirit,' Death Gigas mused.

'Indeed,' Chaos echoed.

_'That so?' _I asked. _'Death Gigas, might I ask what happened between you two?'_

His reply was dry. It was also the most he'd ever spoken to me. 'No, Valentine, you may not. Rest assured that what happened between Yuffie and I was nothing that you need to concern yourself with. I made sure she was safe. We spoke for a small while, but what she said to me and I to her is nothing I feel the need to disclose with you.'

Yuffie threw me a knowing smile. "Gigas telling you about how I talked his ear off?"

'She did no such thing. I greatly appreciate her company.'

"He says he didn't mind, but he won't let me know what you two talked about."

Her smile widened. "Let's go to Kalm next."

The abrupt subject change threw me off for a moment. "Kalm? You want to bypass Midgar?"

"Kinda. I don't remember much of what happened there, but I just have a bad feeling about it." She shrugged, then took a bite of dried fruit for herself.

"Shall we travel north, to Icicle Inn, or do you wish to go south again and head back through Bone Village?" I'd leave the choice entirely up to her.

Yuffie weighed her decision for a long moment, obviously caught in thought. "I'd like to go back to Bone Village, sure, but I don't remember anything about Icicle Inn, so let's go there."

"You most likely don't remember much about the place because we never had the chance to stay long. It was just somewhere we passed through along the way. I don't even recall staying the night, to be honest."

"It'll be nice to spend some time there, then. I won't have to constantly worry about trying to force my brain to remember."

"If you want a vacation, I'd suggest Costa del Sol."

"Yeah?"

"Beats the hell out of the snow."

"Well then, let's actually stay in Costa del Sol this time." I could practically hear her smile. "We bypassed it last time because I was so motion-sick, and the heat was not helping in the slightest."

And that was it. We packed up our things with hardly another word, other than the occasional "Did you see my other sock?" and set the course of our journey to the frozen tundra.

When we reached the cliff tops, well out of view of the ancient conch-shell houses that once belonged to the Cetra, Yuffie tentatively took my hand as we began into the frozen wasteland that spread out before us. The day was still young, the sun was still low on the horizon, and I was more than happy to be up so early for once. Considering the time of day, and how far we had to go, I felt confident that we'd reach Icicle Inn before nightfall.

If we didn't, we might freeze to death.

But, saying such out loud would be a damper on Yuffie's bright spirits, and that was the last thing I wanted.

What? I was trying to be an optimist

Seeing her chipper, almost shyly holding my hand... it was cute, and novel, and all about the little things love had never been about to me before.

Now, I'm not saying that I outright love Yuffie. But, to deny that she held a place in my heart would fool no one. I selflessly scoured the world for her, and when I found her I selflessly followed her across the globe so she could regain her memories and once more become the person she used to be. However, while I was coming to believe that she would never again be the Yuffie everyone once knew, she was becoming a little more -like- the old Yuffie every day. But, opinions and ideas change with people, and Yuffie had changed quite a bit, with or without her knowing of it.

'Have you ever stopped to think about why?' Chaos sounded oddly pensive. Perhaps a good or bad thing, depending on the situation.

_'Why what?'_

'Why her memories are gone?'

No, I hadn't. Not really. Not in depth. And suddenly I felt guilty for not even thinking twice about the whys or the hows.

"Hey, Yuffie. Have you regained any memories that might help us figure out why you lost them all in the first place?"

It was worth a shot, right?

She shrugged, kicking a little snow of her shoe. "Not really. But, then again, I'm not sure what was from when we were all together, and what's from whatever I apparently went through."

"Nothing at all?"

She began chewing her lip. After a while, she sighed. "I don't know Vincent, I just don't know. I remember dark places and a crazy tentacle monster. I remember cold places and an asshole with crazy white hair. I remember lots of tears, lots of hurt and sadness. I can't remember what it all ties into, though. It's fragments. I'm broken, remember?"

"You're not broken." It came out a little too sharply than I had meant it to.

She looked up at me and tilted her head, then gave my hand a reassuring squeeze. "Gigas said roughly the same thing."

I couldn't tell if it pleased her or not, but I wasn't about to let her badmouth herself in front of me. If there was one thing that could be said about Yuffie Kisaragi, other than her being obnoxious, loud, constantly exuberant and perplexing on a most frustrating level, was that she never lacked self-confidence. If she was down on herself it meant that there was something wrong.

"Is there something you're not telling me?"

"Maybe yes, maybe no." I scoured her face for a shift in emotion but found nothing other than a mild passing interest as she gaze about our surroundings.

"If there is something bothering-"

"I know. You won't demand I tell you, but you'll be there for me if I ever want to talk about it. And maybe I'll bring it up sometime. But not now. Not when I don't understand it; not when I don't know what it could mean to me."

I'm glad she understood I wouldn't push her. Even though her words could have been sarcastic, as they often were, these were not. She -did- understand that I was there for her _when she needed it_. And, well, the rest of the time, too.

She gave my hand another reassuring squeeze without meeting my eyes, and that was how I knew she was done talking about it for now.

'Well, it was a good try.' Chaos' words, too, lacked sarcasm.

'There is much going on within her that she must deal with herself before she feels ready to seek the help of others.' Death Gigas was becoming more talkative by the day.

_'What makes you say that?'_

'Because we are much the same, she and I. Love and loss, ups and down. Perhaps, Vincent, she is even more like you than you think.'

I did tend to let my past own me, didn't I? Was dwelling on her lost memories such a good idea?

Though the questions I had were many, the answers were few. No one could decide what was good for Yuffie except for Yuffie. That's how it was, and that's how it would always be. I could help her, guide her, but only she knew what she was meant to do with all of it.

It was passed noon when she spotted something on the horizon. "Hey, is that smoke rising up?"

Sometimes it was handy having superior vision. "Looks that way."

"Good. My feet are freezing."

"We didn't exactly come prepared for freezing-cold weather. We're dressed for autumn, at best."

"I know. Hi-top tennis shoes aren't ideal for tracking through the snow."

For a moment, I almost panicked. "Do you have frostbite? Are you alright?"

She waved it off with a smile and a shrug. "I can still feel my toes, don't worry. It's cold, but it's not -that- cold. I'm just bitching for the sake of bitching."

She was right. It was cold, but the snow was hardly few inches deep at best. I suppose that made sense; it was colder in the south because it was winter in the opposing hemisphere. That made it summer in the north, even though there wasn't much of a difference other than a little more sunshine in the day.

"As long as you're sure you'll be alright."

She squeezed my hand. Unless you're offering to give me a piggy-back ride, I think I'm alright."

I'm not a fan of the cold. I suppose I could also claim that I wasn't a fan of overly-warm places, either, but it was also rather relative; the last thing on your mind when you're freezing to death would be how miserable it might be to sweat on the beach in the tropics. I'm more of a fan of the temperate climates, places like Junon where there really isn't a way to completely distinguish between seasons, especially if one lives below the city. The water is always moderate, the wind always has a slight bite to it what with it being next to the sea, and the summers aren't so sweltering that it makes one miserable.

I liked autumn; the discoloration of the leaves, the suddenly sleepy animals that hurry to store last minute food surpluses for their long winter sleep.

Spring just made my nose run and my eyes itch.

Mountains began to creep up on either side of us as Yuffie and I trekked closer to Icicle Inn. Snow crunched under our shoes and reminded me, for some awful and known reason, of the snapping and groaning of bones.

"Hey, Vincent?"

"Yes, Yuffie?"

"... Nevermind."

That was unusual for Yuffie; questions didn't normally sit quietly with her.

"Are you sure? You're welcome to ask me anything."

"I don't think it's something you'd be familiar with, that's all."

"Oh?"

"Nope. Maybe later."

Something was on her mind, but true to my word I would never force her to talk about anything she wasn't comfortable with. I could easily assess that it was something having to do with a past memory of hers, but I wouldn't pry about it unless I felt it completely necessary. If it wasn't hurting her, I would let it be.

Children were playing out in the snow when we entered the village. Several of the younger ones saw us and ran to their parents or older siblings, pointing and informing their elders of the new people who've come to town. That was the problem with smaller towns; they never made for good hiding places.

'Where the hell did that come from?' Chaos seemed truly surprised.

I mentally shrugged it off. _'Years of Turk training don't exactly fade away. It was simply a wayward thought.'_

'You're weird, Valentine. You're the type of man to walk into a party and instead of have a good time, you'd be more likely to plan an exit strategy.'

I didn't responding to his baiting. So what if I had a cautious outlook? Better to be slightly paranoid and considered a little strange than to be dead, any day of the week.

We holed up in the inn. The inn in Icicle Inn; say that ten times fast. Yuffie tossed her bag on the bed and immediately began digging for a new pair of socks. "Remind me why I wanted to come up here again?"

"I don't think you gave me a very legitimate answer in the first place., actually."

"Oh, he's sarcastic now. Wonderful. It took half a day of traveling through the snow for him to develop a sense of humor."

"I've always had one, I'm simply less inclined to share."

"There he goes again," she giggled, giving up and completely shaking the contents of her bag free. "Did you spot a laundromat in this place?"

"No such luck, but I bet we could ask the owner of the inn if he has a washtub we could borrow."

Yuffie stuck out her tongue, obviously not pleased with the idea, but less pleased about finding no clean socks.

"Did you need to borrow a pair of mine while we wash yours?"

"What size shoe do you wear; like, thirteen? No thanks, you're feet are huge. I bet even your ankle socks would come up to my knees."

"My feet aren't that big," I countered, lamely.

The innkeeper did have a washtub, and while it wasn't terribly cold outside, it was still a little too cold to hang our laundry on the wash-line outdoors. If this was summer and most likely the warmest it got in the town, I'm surprised there even was a wash-line in the first place; it just seemed silly.

Yuffie, barefoot and dressed in a spare pair of sweatpants and an older t-shirt, most likely a hand-me-down from her adoptive grandparents, did her laundry first. "I hate washing clothes by hand," she complained. "My hands get all pruney."

"Take a break and let me wash mine before your hands get pruney, then. We'll take turns."

"Vincent Valentine does his own laundry. Who would have known?" She flashed me a devious smile.

Well, can I be blamed? I didn't want anyone else touching my undergarments, thank you very much.

When it was my turn to use the wash basin, Yuffie put on her shoes, even without socks, and climbed up the steps of the basement to the outside. "I need some fresh air," I was informed. "It smells too clean down here."

How anything short of a hospital could smell too clean was beyond my guess, but I wasn't going to argue; washing my underpants with Yuffie staring over my shoulder wasn't exactly my idea of a good time.

But, I should have known better. Where ever Yuffie goes, she lands herself in some kind of trouble, be it big or little. Her curiosity was, at times, insatiable, which was both a good trait and a bad. By the time I finished my laundry, as well as the rest of hers (I couldn't exactly let it sit there, could I?), she still hadn't returned. So, knowing she'd managed to do something that was unique only to her, I set off in search of her.

Where I found her actually surprised me. We'd learned, on our first trip through Icicle Inn, that the snow mountain town was where Aerith was from. Not completely, but in a way of sorts. Her father, the late Professor Gast, had fallen in love with Aerith's mother, Iflana, while the Gast had been supposedly interrogating her about the mysteries of the Ancients. That dangerous love produced our friend, true, but it drove Hojo to kill Gast in cold blood.

I noticed a flicker from from the window of one of the old, ransacked houses down the lane and somehow I knew Yuffie was inside.

I opened the door to the sound of recorded gunshots. Yuffie had been watching the videos of Aerith's mother and father, and I'd walked in right as Gast was killed. Yuffie's back faced me, and from her slouched form I could tell she was beyond upset.

"This shit is pretty messed up," she commented over her shoulder. Though her voice sounded dead, I knew there were tears in her eyes.

And for some reason, I knew she had never really believed me about Hojo's cruelty. He'd only been polite and understanding when in her presence, or at least as far as she could remember. He'd questioned her as any doctor should, had helped her understand when she did not, and listened to her problems.

But now... now she saw him for who he was. Not as I saw him, not as I knew him; no, there were no others alive who'd seen Hojo's cruelty as I had. Yet, now she saw how cold he could easily turn.

"He killed both her parents."

I nodded, mutely.

"Both of them, dead. One with a bullet and the other later with experiments."

"And what a cruel twist of fate it was that his son killed their daughter."

She wiped the wetness from her cheeks with the backs of her sleeves. "I didn't think he was as bad as you made him out to be."

"You didn't know."

"But you told me."

"I told you what was done to me by his hands, yes, but I didn't mean for you to hate him just because I do."

She hiccuped. "I don't think I can look at him the same way. He... He killed them."

I grew somber. "Would it change your opinion of me to know that I, too, have killed?"

"In cold blood? Like this?"

I looked away. Shame washed over me. Hojo killed because he didn't hold human life precious. Yet, I... "You forget I worked for Shinra, Yuffie. I was ordered to shoot, so I pulled the trigger. How many lives have I taken, how many families have I ruined? Far too many to count."

She began to sob. "You're such a fucking downer."

I let the silence come between us. Eventually she stood, her eyes puffy and red. "I'm cold." She sniffed, miserably.

I opened the door and followed her out of it, toward the inn. The sun had set, plunging the town into the quiet darkness of night. She didn't speak to me again for a long while. That night, after we'd folded our dried laundry and stoked the fire and went to bed, Yuffie stirred. She rolled one way, then the next, and then over again, finally heaving a heavy sigh before she stood.

'Do you think, by chance, that she's leaving you?' Chaos prodded, curiously.

I sat up, but it was as if she read my mind; "I'm just taking a piss. Go back to sleep."

True to her word, the bathroom door shut and a short time later I heard the toilet flush and the door crack open again.

She stood at the end of my bed, rubbing her hands up and down her arms. "Room in there for one more?" Her voice was groggy with sleep and lacked the playfulness I would normally expect from that kind of statement from her.

My heart jack-hammered in my chest as I raised a hand to lift up the covers and silently offer an invitation to her. She quietly curled up next to me.

What was I supposed to do? Ifrit blow- it'd been so long since I last courted a woman.

I gingerly placed my hand on her hip, just letting it sit there, and gauged her reaction carefully.

She let out a sigh. "Don't get any ideas about me; I'm not being cutsey. I'm freezing my ass off in my own bed." To demonstrate, she placed her bare toes against my shin.

"Shit-" I hissed as I pulled my leg again. "Put some socks on! Your toes are like ice."

"I -have- socks on," she pouted, moving closer to me and snuggling up against my chest.

She went quiet again, but I knew she didn't sleep.

"Care to tell me what's on your mind?"

"Some kind of mind reader, Valentine?"

"Nothing of the sort. You're just easy to read."

She sighed, then went silent for a few moments. "It's a weird question."

"Is any question you ask normal?" I was trying to be sarcastic, but I could feel she was attempting a seriousness I wasn't used to seeing in her.

"Are you really okay with me?"

"What?" I asked – no, I suppose I blurted it out quite dumbly – before I could stop myself.

She squirmed. "Well, for starters you're way older than me."

"Yes and no, I suppose. I'm twenty-seven, but sixty-seven. I look the younger part, but feel the older."

"It doesn't bother you?"

"Should I let it?"

"Just making sure."

"Is that what this is about? How old I am in comparison to you?"

"Not really."

Ah. I could see where this was going already. "Does it bother you to know that I've been involved with other women?"

"First off, don't make it sound like a capital offense; you don't belong to me, so I'm not allowed to get pissed off at who you slept with before. And second, let me answer your question with one of my own: does it bother you to know that I've been involved with other men?"

I suppose I should have seen it coming. She was young, and love was a daring new adventure to someone with as much naivety as Yuffie. But... "When were you in a relationship?" She was only sixteen when she joined up with us, though I suppose by her standards that might have been old enough. Had it been in Junon? Suddenly, I did care- and quite a bit. What was this possessiveness that I felt overcoming me?

I heard Galian growl in the back of my head, and Gigas mumbled a curse of sorts.

Well, that explained it.

Yup, my demons had a thing for her. Great.

"I don't recall specifics, I just remember that all of them were complete assholes."

"My apologies."

"What do you have to be sorry for? All I remember is them treating me like shit; yelling, cursing..."

And I began to wonder... Were these really her ex-boyfriends, or was this something more sinister entirely?

"What do you remember of them?"

"Their faces and voices, mostly."

"Did any of them hurt you?"

"I don't... I don't remember."

"What do you remember? Their names, how you met, why you didn't stand up to them?"

She sighed. "I remember three. Each one was meaner than the one before, and for whatever reason I can't remember how I met them, why I left them, or why I didn't kick their asses in the first place."

And that was when I began to really worry. Were these men the reason she'd lost her memory?

No, that was not something I could ask her outright. If she was unconsciously blocking the memory, she might not recall the events even when presented with some sort of trigger. If she somehow did recall them because of my prodding... Was she ready to face whatever demon was within her mind? Her memories had suppressed themselves for a reason.

'You seem sure of yourself, Valentine.' Chaos didn't seem even slightly amused.

_'It's the only conclusion I'm drawing. Yuffie is capable of taking on some of the most powerful creatures on this planet; there is no way she couldn't defend herself against men lest there was a damn good reason.'_

'And you've convinced yourself that reason was-?'

_'I'm not completely sure, but my suspicions are now circling some kind of torture or rape.'_

I jumped when Galian snarled inside my head, which, in turn, caused Yuffie to jump. "What?"

"Your toes-" I quickly lied. "Stop touching me with your toes."

"I didn't talk much about my past relationships with any of you, did I?"

"I can't speak for Cloud and the others, but as far as I know you either didn't have any or you simply never talked about them when I was around."

She made a noise that was somewhere between annoyance and affirmation. "You're talking to your demons, aren't you?" Her accusation was right on the money- was I really that transparent to her, or was she growing used me?

"Yes and no. They don't like that you can remember these... ex-boyfriends of yours, and they aren't happy to hear that you weren't treated properly by them."

Give her information, but never state it outright; it was true that both Galian and Gigas weren't pleased by what they heard from Yuffie about how she was treated, but no further explanation, or even a hint about my speculations, was necessary. Lie by using truth.

If my speculations were correct, was she even capable of having a relationship? Or would her memories come flooding back the moment I touched her a certain way?

The incident in the City of the Ancients- she'd instigated it. She had been the one to roll me on top of her, which left her in complete control. But what would happen if she felt forced?

I couldn't push her.

I wouldn't.

Neither in gaining her memories, nor in any kind of relationship.

Don't get me wrong- I wasn't in love with Yuffie. I was, however, of the strong opinion that love has the capacity to grow anywhere with due time, so while I was still mostly unsure about what kind of relationship Yuffie and I were capable of, I was certain, at the least, that we were capable of some kind of relationship, be it romantic or otherwise. We were already, at least what I would define as, close friends, and it was obvious she liked me. Who was there to say that we couldn't, eventually, have something more?

This burden - the reason for her memory suppression – wasn't something I was able to find out. I could speculate until I was blind and deaf for all the world would care, but only Yuffie knew what really happened to her.

All I could do was help her. All I could do was stay by her side, dry her tears, hold her when she needed it and throw a sarcastic remark at her when she didn't.

And that was when I committed myself to her. We might not have been in a relationship other than a dysfunctional one for the time being, neither 'together' nor not, but I was hers.

Completely hers.

"I like your demons," she remarked, yawing. Clearly she was done talking about whatever was on her mind.

"The ones who have met you seem to like you, as well."

"When do I get to meet the others?"

I was quiet for a while, and so was Chaos, surprisingly. I decided to answer her truthfully. "Hell Masker is... more of a shut-in than Gigas, so chances are he won't be meeting you any time soon. And Chaos... Chaos sees all that I see, and speaks to me the most. For what it's worth, he already knows you as well as I do.

I could feel how pleased this made Chaos. I think, to an extent, that it pleased Yuffie, too.

"Not going to let them out, then?"

Chaos stilled, his admiration suddenly dim.

"Not unless I need them. That's what they are there for; when I need help."

I felt an overwhelming rush of reassurance from all of them, even Hell Masker, from who I often felt the least.

'Good, Valentine. Nice to know that you understand our forced agreement.' Death Gigas' praise was polite, which was, in his case, most likely the best I'd get from him.

Galian purred.

Even though I couldn't see Chaos, I knew he smiled. 'We are called demons by you humans,' he explained, 'because you lack words and imagination to otherwise explain us. That is why monsters are monsters to you- not merely animals, or other creatures that share the planet. I'm labeled a demon because I don't fit the norms you humans associate with everything. I look dark and evil, therefore I must be.'

_'What are you, then, Chaos?'_

"What am I? Valentine, that question is far too profound for a simple answer. I am both living and dead; I can pass from this world to the next and back again. I've seen the Lifestream, I know its song, but I cannot sing with it. I am no more a demon than you are, Vincent. I am simply me; I am a creature of this earth, just like any other.'


End file.
